Endless Tango: It Takes Two To Tango
by Tori Yuki Ichimura
Summary: Don't balk at the size of this story! It doesn't take long to read, and I promise all true fans will enjoy it! Written by Miss Hiyabasa, who worked on the show, and translated for you English reading pleasure by me, Tori!
1. Reason why this thing is so damn hard to...

First off, I own Gundam Wing! ...and while I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony... Okay, Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sotsu, and Sunrise! The chara Duet belongs to Miss Kurokawa Hiyabasa, who works for Mr. Ikeda and whose aforementioned chara was cut from the Gundam Wing series. She now appears mostly in Japanese fan circles and doujinshi. And for some of you 1x2 fans, you may be holding a HeeroxDuet doujinshi instead! They were quite a popular couple and you'll find out why in the story!  
This story is adapted from the illustrated doujinshi, which means I had to translate all the dialogue and such, and then write the novel format from the illustrations. Miss Hiyabasa wrote the "doujinshi" mostly from what Duet's part in the script would have been, therefore it pretty much follows the timeline between the escape from the Lunar Base ((hint hint: TROWA WASN'T SUPPOSED TO LOSE HIS MEMORY!!! AND THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO SPEND TIME LOOKING FOR HIM!!! QUATRE WAS SUPPOED TO PASS OUT DURING THE BATTLE AND HEERO LEAVE HIM AND COLLECT TROWA!!!)) and before the Libra thing. She was kind enough to add a little Fan Service, and due to some translation confusion and my love of American alternative music, I have substituted the Fan Service singing of "Last Impression" for an SR71 song called "Politically Correct" (with a few minor changes) I actually think the latter works better, but we'll jump that barrier when we come to it! 


	2. The Sixth Shooting Star

Six Gundams Confirmed?  
  
Duo Maxwell was asleep in his Gundam's cockpit, dreaming quietly, when Deathscythe's monitor began to screech furiously. Awake and awing in the blink of an eye, he sat up and grabbed the controls. He glanced around anxiously and relaxed. Nothing but empty space surrounded him. Quatre appeared on the vid screen in front of him and Duo smiled. "What's goin' on, man?" he asked, but Quatre didn't return the smile.   
  
"OZ has caught one of the Gundam pilots. You're the only person I've been able to contact, so I'm afraid it's either Heero, Trowa, or Wufei," Quatre finished and gazed helplessly at Duo.   
  
"Where are they holding him?" Duo asked and leaned as far forward as his seat brace permitted.   
  
"In the northeastern area of Colony L4. I'll meet you there in thirty-six hours. Over and out," Quatre sighed and the screen went blank. Duo punched the coordinates into Deathscythe's main computer and reclined in his chair again.   
  
Who got caught? he thought, Trowa? No, he was too good at melting in with the crowd. Wufei? Possibly, but he couldn't have gone down without a fight. Heero? Eh, he'd been caught before. "The biggest surprise is that it wasn't me!" Duo laughed and gazed at the ceiling. "Well, I guess it's time I started paying them back for all the times they've saved my butt," he sighed and fell asleep again.  
  
An explosion rocked Deathscythe and Duo was startled awake again. "Them again!" he yelled and proceeded to shoot down the Mobile Dolls that had surrounded him while he slept. He took a couple of blows himself, but managed to destroy them all and discreetly land his mobile suit in a wooded area of the northeast corner of Colony L4.   
  
Duo climbed out of Deathscythe and threw some leafy branches around it to hide the giant robot as best he could. Shrugging, he strolled out of the woods and towards the city, whistling. Once he reached a road, he glanced around, eyes stopping on a large iron structure that served as a temporary military warehouse. "Heh, I land half a mile away from a OZ base and no one cares. Yeah, most of the troops are off at war, but you'd think someone would notice a huge mobile suit," Duo laughed and made his way towards the base.  
~~~  
  
Heero, Wufei, and Trowa moped about in a storage roomed that served as their prison. The door swung open and Quatre stumbled in, bruised and cut. He fell and the door shut behind him. "What are you doing here?" Heero asked.   
  
"I came to save the captured Gundam pilot," he laughed in self-mockery.   
  
"So did we. Apparently, there wasn't one until they caught us," Wufei growled in frustration.   
  
"Impossible! I saw a Gundam in the background when the message aired!" Quatre exclaimed once he righted himself against a wall.   
  
"So did I. It looked a lot like Deathscythe, but not the same," Trowa sighed. Heero nodded in assent.  
  
"Speaking of that unbearable nuisance, where is Duo?" Heero asked and sat in a corner.   
  
"Last I heard, he was on his way here to save the pilot," Quatre smiled.   
  
"There's no hope of a rescue, so we should start planning an escape," Wufei said quite seriously and glanced at the single dim light-bulb hanging from the ceiling.   
  
"Now, that's not very nice," someone outside mumbled. The door was opened again and Duo was shoved in.   
  
"It may not have been nice, but it was true," Wufei sighed as the door slammed shut again.   
  
Duo held his bruised and bloodied shoulder and laughed through split lips. "Good to know everyone has faith in me," he sighed and winced as his lip started bleeding again.   
  
"So, everyone came here to rescue a pilot that doesn't exist and ended up getting caught?" Duo asked while Quatre bandaged his shoulder with strips of Duo's shirt.   
  
"We thought it was you when the broadcast aired because the Gundam looked like yours, but it was probably just a decoy. Seems OZ is getting smarter," Trowa replied.   
  
A crash echoed out in the hall, followed by swift footsteps. The boys jumped to their feet with the exception of Duo, who could just barely manage to get his knees under him without help because of his shoulder. Someone yelled and sounds of fighting were heard, but were soon silenced by a sickening crack. The door was opened once more and a dark figure was thrown in. "Maybe next time you'll loosen your tongue a little, pilot," a guard bellowed and the door slammed shut.  
  
The four other boys gathered around to inspect the figure that had landed at Duo's feet. Blood was pooling around him, and he wasn't moving. "This is the sixth Gundam pilot?" Duo asked and gave up on trying to stand.   
  
"So, it wasn't a hoax!" Quatre sighed and gazed down at the beaten boy.   
  
"You think he's dead?" Heero asked and kneeled down to inspect the body. He was lying on his stomach, arms protecting his head. Wufei rolled him on his back, and they all backed up.   
  
"I-it's a girl!" Duo exclaimed and waved his hand in front of the girl's blank face. She had a nasty gash under her eye and her right leg was bent at a joint that shouldn't have been.   
  
Quatre leaned over her face and listened for breath, but there was none. "She's needs CPR before her heart stops," he said calmly. The boys all looked at each other worriedly. "Well, somebody's got to do it!" Quatre yelled and glared at them.   
  
Duo sighed audibly and opened the girl's mouth. Quatre felt for her ribs and pressed on her diaphragm. He forced the air out of her lungs and Duo breathed life back in. When it didn't work the first time, they tried again, but the girl caught Duo around the neck with one arm, and held a gleaming knife to his temple with the other. 


	3. It's supposed to flow, but I can't do th...

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but it ends here!" she whispered harshly. Wufei kicked the knife out of the girl's hand and she glared up at him angrily. Heero pried her arm away from Duo's neck and sat on her stomach, holding both her arms down. The girl struggled to get up, but Heero refused to move.   
  
"Him and Quatre here just saved you pathetic life," he said, but the girl ignored him.   
  
"Let her go, Heero," Quatre demanded and pointed a gun at Heero's forehead. Heero glared at him, but released her. She immediately reached for another dagger, but Duo grabbed her arm. She attempted to stand and attack them, but her leg prevented her from doing anything but fall on her side.   
  
"Kill me. I have failed my mission," she hissed through clenched teeth and lay where she fell.   
  
"No, there are a few things we need to know first," Trowa said calmly and reached into his jeans pocket for a tissue. He wiped the blood from her face and she glared at him helplessly.   
  
"What's your name," Duo asked and tore off a strip of leather from her trench coat.   
  
"Why should I tell you!?" she hissed as Wufei grabbed her arms and held them behind her back.   
  
"We can't help you if you won't let us," Quatre said when she tried to kick him away from her broken leg. Heero sat on her knees so she couldn't move.   
  
"Why should we help you?" Duo asked and wadded the leather up. He stuffed it in her mouth, half to muffle any screams, and half to keep her from biting her tongue off when Quatre set her leg. It seems the former wasn't necessary. Her face twisted in agony, but she didn't make a sound. Trowa helped bind her leg with more leather strips and Heero's gun as a splint, and Heero and Wufei released her. She spit out the leather which she had bitten clear through and wiped her mouth.  
  
"Duet Maxine, if you must know," she growled begrudgingly, and looked away from them. "Who are you?" she asked. Everyone blinked in astonishment.   
  
"What's your name?" Duo asked and tried to read her face.   
  
She glared at them and repeated, "Duet. Maxine."   
  
"But that's impossible!"   
  
"Why? I ain't no big shot!"   
  
"No, it's just… weird…"   
  
"How so?" she asked and stared icily at the group.   
  
"Because I'm Duo Maxwell!" he cried and stood up, absent-mindedly clutching his gold cross. He didn't know whether to cry or to laugh at the irony. The girl seemed frightened for the first time since they met. The others watched, not wanting to disturb either of them. She reached down her shirt and pulled out a gold cross exactly the same as his.   
  
"Father Maxwell," she whimpered and closed her eyes, clutching the necklace to her heart. Duo sat down next to her and pulled her against him. She clung to him and wept, tears mingling with the blood still on her cheek.   
  
Heero and the others sat in a semi-circle around the two, careful to avoid the pool of blood still on the floor. "Why are you here?" Heero asked once everyone had calmed down.   
  
"To destroy OZ," Duet said, practically spitting out "OZ."   
  
"Where'd you get a Gundam?" Trowa asked and fixed her with a questioning look.   
  
"I didn't steal it," she laughed at herself and snuggled against Duo, "though I wish I did. Then, I wouldn't have to answer to those stupid engineers."   
  
Wufei sighed inwardly, but nothing showed on his face. She's no different from the other female pilots: emotional and weak, he thought.   
  
"Does anyone have any plans to get out of here?" Wufei asked. Duet smirked evilly and fished around in her pocket. She pulled out a detonation device and tossed it to him.  
  
"Where are the mines set?" Trowa asked and looked around.   
  
"Along the hallway and in the hangar. My Gundam's in there, but Washi Ookami can take a few hits." She brushed the hair away from her face and her eyes sparkled.  
  
"Ah, so the blue one was yours!" Quatre grinned and he and Duo helped Duet to her feet.   
  
"I wasn't counting on being stuck here, so we might end up a little bruised and battered," she warned. Wufei nodded and pushed the button. The wall across the room exploded and they were thrown to the ground. Duet shrugged off their help and they ran through the new door into the hangar.  
  
Duet's Gundam was lying on the back of a transport nearby. She ran over to it, trying hard to ignore her leg, but when it gave out, Duo caught her. "I'm fine!" she insisted and looked up at Duo. Her stood her up and she looked a little indignant. "Where are your suits?" she asked the boys.   
  
"Mine's in the woods nearby," Duo replied.   
  
"Ours are on Earth. We came by shuttle," Wufei said, and gestured to include Trowa and Heero.   
  
"Sandrock's on a transport headed for Earth. My crew took care of it already," Quatre sighed and gazed longingly at the sky.   
  
"We've got two Gundams between the six of us? This'll be a tight squeeze!" Duo remarked.   
  
"Whatever we do, it has to be fast!" Heero yelled and pointed to the small army of OZ soldiers in Leo mobile suits heading towards them.   
  
"You come with me!" Duo said and grabbed Trowa and Wufei. "You two help Duet!" he added to Heero and Quatre as they ran off.   
  
"I can run myself!" Duet protested when Heero scooped her up. They hid behind the jeeps parked in the back while the Leo chased after Duo and the others.   
  
"Whatever I was expecting from you, it wasn't that," Quatre smiled and gave her a boost into Washi Ookami's cockpit. She immediately headed for the pilot's seat, but Heero stopped her.   
  
"I'll pilot your Gundam for now. You take care of your leg," Heero mumbled. Duet nodded her thanks and sat down beside the chair, opposite Quatre.   
  
"I've never rode like this before," he confessed. Heero jumpstarted the Gundam and the harness clicked into place.   
  
"Your harness is… different," Heero pointed out as he squirmed uncomfortably. Duet rolled her eyes and leaned forward to unhook it. "Thanks," he nodded and Washi Ookami sprung to life.   
  
The blue and silver mobile suit stood up and everyone inside lurched forward and held onto anything nailed down. Heero grabbed the controls and began firing madly at the OZ troops. In less than a minute, he had cleared them away. He escaped and met up with Deathscythe.  
  
"Hey! You get out okay?" Duo appeared on the vid screen and asked.   
  
"We're fine," Heero replied coldly and whirled as more Leos appeared. Both suits fired unmercifully until they ran out of ammunition.   
  
"Great, and I just restocked, too," Duet sighed and crossed her arms.   
  
"What else does this thing have!?" Heero demanded.   
  
"Thrust that lever for the Fang, that for the Beam Cannon, that for Talons, and that for self-destruct. You do NOT touch that button! " she yelled and yanked the first lever. Washi Ookami pulled a Beam Saber from its left arm and held it high. It glowed black and purple volts of energy coursed along the length of it.  
  
"That's quite a weapon!" Quatre exclaimed as it neatly sliced through three enemy mobiles. Duo was fighting just a fiercely with his scythe, mowing down his opponents.  
  
"I am Shinigami!" he laughed over the connection. When Heero spared a glance at the screen, Duet seized the controls. She expertly destroyed four suits while they were regrouping, leaving only two left.   
  
"Gee, thanks for leaving me some," Duo grumbled jokingly and finished them off.  
  
"We have to head for Earth before more troops arrive," Trowa frowned. Heero sheathed the Fang and nodded assent. Duet hit another button on the control panel and both suits took off.   
  
"Do you want to intercept your crew and pick up your suit, Quatre?" Duet asked and sat back so Heero could take over the controls again.   
  
"No, Sandrock will be safer where it is," Quatre explained. Duet nodded and reclined against the wall of the cockpit.   
  
"Where are you from?" Quatre asked, drawing his knees tighter in the very limited space.   
  
"Colony L2. I lived in Maxwell Church for as long as I can remember, that is, until I was adopted. I was taken in by, oh, six or seven other families in the course of a year, but I kept running away. I got into trouble a lot, and finally, they sent me to an OZ training camp for some discipline. I stole a mobile suit and flew to Earth, and that's where I met this guy named Howard. I stayed with him for a while, helping him salvage and repair mobile suits, and I became fascinated with them. When this engineer brought Howard a Gundam to stock, I stayed up all night working on it. Professor G saw me and said I could have it if I could pilot it right. I agreed, passed the test, and he gave me my Gundam, the Washi Ookami," Duet yawned and patted Washi Ookami's control panel. "That's my life story!" she added.  
  
"Eagle Wolf. Strange name," Heero commented and closed his eyes. She's a little odd, he thought, But I suppose anyone who's anything like Duo is odd. Heero sighed and stared out into space.   
  
Duo, Wufei, and Trowa appeared on the vid screen. "Where exactly are we going?" Wufei asked. Heero regarded them with one Prussian eye.   
  
"Earth. That's where our Gundams are." 


	4. The fourth

Duet squirmed and finally sunk into a comfortable position. Quatre and Heero were asleep, but Duet didn't feel comfortable enough to let herself drift off. "That was an interesting story," the vid screen spoke and came to life.   
  
"Hmmm?" Duet asked, and looked up. The screen lit up with Duo's face. Trowa and Wufei were catching some Z's in the background. "You were listening?" she asked and stretched.   
  
"Yeah, sorry. It's just that I wasn't sure if you were for real, but you story... checks out," Duo sighed and reclined in his chair.  
  
"Well, it certainly is nice to meet the boy Howard always compared me to," she laughed and her liquid blue eyes sparkled.  
  
"How come I've never seen you there?" he asked.   
  
"I… never really liked people. My business was always with the mobile suits. I guess I was always afraid to get close to people. The people I got close to always got hurt," Duet sighed and brushed away a piece of hair that had fallen loose from her own braid, exposed after she had removed her coat.   
  
"No! You can't blame yourself for what happened to the Church. It wasn't your fault. It took me a long time to learn that," Duo mused.   
  
"But even if it's not my fault, I still want revenge," they said in unison.   
  
"Then we'll fight together, alongside one another. One person fighting for a cause is strong, but two are stronger," she rallied and clenched her fist. Duo closed his eyes and laughed to himself. When he opened them again, Duet was asleep, a slight grin on her face.  
  
"Be careful, Duo. You can't get too attached to her," Heero warned as Duo smiled at the sleeping girl.   
  
"And why not? Duet's just like the rest of us," Duo insisted angrily.   
  
"That's just the reason. She's like us, a pilot whose job is to complete her missions or die trying. Any day could be her last. She exactly like us," Heero explained coldly. Duo cringed. "Does it bother you that she's not exempt from reality," Heero asked and looked away.   
  
"It bothers me that you're so damn cold! Even if you're never happy, can't you let someone else be!?" Duo yelled and cut the link.  
  
"What was that about?" Trowa asked and opened one eye. Duo clutched his shoulder and gave himself a few seconds to compose himself.   
  
"Nothing, just a little tiff!" he turned his face towards Trowa and smiled.   
  
"Whatever you say," Trowa replied smugly and closed his eyes again.  
  
~~~  
  
The two Gundams landed on the wide asphalt strip behind Howard's salvage warehouse. He came out to see what was going on, and grinned when both Duo and Duet appeared. "Figured it wouldn't take you long to find each other!" he commented as Duo helped Duet out of her Gundam. They tumbled to the ground when Duo's shoulder gave out and landed in a heap of black clothes and braids. Wufei rolled his eyes and Trowa shook his head. They untangled themselves and mumbled apologies. The suits were left to have their ammunition restocked as the group headed inside for some lunch.  
  
"So, you're all the Gundam pilots?" Howard asked and passed Duo the ice tea.   
  
"As far as we know," Quatre sighed. Heero helped himself to some potato salad and began playing with it with his fork.   
  
"You can stop, man. I think it's dead," Duo remarked and pointed at the mashed potatoes that used to be potato salad. Heero stood up and left. Quatre followed after him, but the others shrugged it off.  
  
"What's wrong, Heero?" Quatre asked and followed his gaze across the calm waters of the Pacific. When Heero didn't respond, Quatre guessed. "Is it Relena?" he asked and turned to face him.   
  
"No, there's just something about this new pilot," he replied without looking at Quatre.   
  
"I know what you mean. When I was with her on the ride here, she always seemed so distant and depressed," Quatre remarked. A warm breeze sent the wind-chimes tinkling and played with the boys' hair.   
  
"Until Duo appeared," Heero added.   
  
Not much later, Trowa joined them. "She's flirting with Death," Trowa sighed and leaned against the white-washed railing. Heero sighed heavily at Trowa's sad attempt at a pun.   
  
"And I assume Death is flirting back?" Quatre asked with a grin.   
  
"Shamelessly," Trowa replied. Heero smirked, this being one of those rare occasions where he acted almost human.   
  
Inside, Wufei discussed mobile suits with Howard while Duo and Duet exchanged glances and smiles across the table their fellow pilot had put between them. Duet kept blushing, and that was enough to encourage Duo. He stuck a piece of potato on his fork and flung it at her. "Maxwell!" she cried and retaliated with an ice cube that found its way down the back of Duo's shirt. Duo scrambled around and fidgeted, laughing as he tried to retrieve it. Duet tried not to laugh when the Quatre became alarmed and went to Duo's aid. Soon, Heero and Trowa noticed what was going on and moved in to watch.   
  
Quatre was trying to convince Duo to take his shirt off and get it out if it bothered him that much, but all Duo could do was blush and stammer out excuses. Finally, he peeled off the shirt and the ice cube fell out.  
  
"That's what was bothering you so much?" Quatre asked and held up the half-melted ice cube.  
  
"You have no idea how cold that was," Duo said crossly. By now, Duet was nearly choking trying to hold back laughter. Duo laid accusing eyes on her and quickly pulled his shirt back on. Wufei was doing an excellent job of seeming uninterested , but a sudden screech directed everyone's attention outside.  
  
They ran out to see what the problem was only to find a short pink limousine had pulled up. A medium-height blonde girl with green eyes stepped out and smiled. "I've found you again, Heero," she said and moved towards the knot of people.   
  
"Oh! Who's this?" the girl frowned and stopped in front of Duet. "Are you Duo's sister?" she asked in her sweetest voice while looking her over.   
  
"I am nothing of the sort. Who are you?" Duet asked roughly and stared her straight in the eye.   
  
"My name... is Relena Peacecraft," she answered and stuck out her hand.   
  
"Duet," Duet mumbled and firmly shook her hand.   
  
"Look! You two are friends already!" Duo exclaimed.   
  
"Duet's the newest member of our Gundam contingent," Quatre explained. Duet's leg chose that moment to give out and she would have collapsed if Heero hadn't caught her around the waist. He handed her off to Duo when Relena began to look indignant.   
  
"We should go," Heero said to the other pilots and took a step towards the door. Relena grabbed his arm.   
  
"Please don't leave, Heero. I need to talk to you," Relena pouted. Duo elbowed Heero as he walked past supporting Duet. The pilots left Heero and Relena and went back inside.  
  
"God, how does that girl find us?" Duo asked and set Duet down on the couch. Quatre and Trowa help Howard clear off the table, and Wufei sat across from the two.   
  
"You mean, find Heero," Wufei corrected with a slight smile. Duet frowned and crossed her arms.   
  
"I can't stand that stuck-up snot. She's got an attitude problem that I would fix if Heero wasn't so attached to her," she growled and stretched her lame leg.   
  
"You picked up all that from a name and a handshake?" Duo asked and sat down on the arm of the couch.   
  
"They're women," Wufei answered and Duet shrugged.   
  
Suddenly, the computer in the corner flickered and the fish screensaver was replaced by the image of an old man with a long nose and a sad excuse for a mushroom cut. "What do you want, Professor G?" Duo asked the screen and the old man smiled.   
  
"Nothing from you, Duo. I want to speak to Duet," the man answered. Duo turned the computer screen so he could see her.  
  
"Ah, you finally met, eh? Well, I hate to break you two up so soon, but I have a mission for you, Duet," the Professor G grinned.   
  
"She's in no condition to go anywhere!" Duo yelled and pointed to Duet's leg that had been cleaned and re-bandaged on their arrival. They had cleaned up the cut under her eye, but it would most likely leave a pale but interesting scar.  
  
"She's a Gundam pilot like the rest of you. She'll be fine," Professor G replied. Duo seethed but relaxed.   
  
"Let me go with her," he said and glared at the computer.   
  
"No. Dr. J will be sending Heero. That's all," he said and the computer began printing the necessary information. Duo grabbed it and considered tearing it up, but thought better of it and handed it to Duet. She read it carefully, and then pulled a lighter out of her pocket and proceeded to burn the paper.   
  
"Why'd you do that!?" Duo asked.   
  
"Too valuable to risk," Duet replied simply and stood up. She steadied herself against Wufei and started outside to talk to Heero about the mission. She found him with Relena on the porch overlooking the ocean where he, Quatre, and Trowa had been only a while before. "Heero!" Duet called and he turned around. "We have a mission," she smiled and he broke away from Relena to talk to her. Relena gazed wistfully at Heero, then reluctantly returned to her limo and rode off.   
  
"I understand," Heero said once Duet finished explaining the plans.   
  
"At least let me know where you're going!" Duo cried.   
  
"Newark, NJ. There's an OZ military base there that must be destroyed," Duet answered and looked up at Duo.   
  
"But first we have to stop at Quatre's to retrieve my Gundam," Heero said and they walked off.   
  
"Sheesh, way to leave me out," Duo remarked indignantly.   
  
"It's nothing against you. It's just that your Gundam doesn't specialize in aerial battle techniques," Duet smiled and winked at him.   
  
"Damned logic," he sighed and leaned against the door frame. 


	5. Anyone out there from Shoujocon 2001!?!?...

The Washi Ookami, Deathscythe, and a small plane carrying the other four boys alit on the landing strip that was a small part of the estate Quatre had purchased as a sanctuary for the boys.   
  
"Avdol! Rasid! Please make up another room for our new friend," Quatre called happily and gestured to Duet standing in the exit of the cockpit.   
  
"Yes, Master Quatre!" Avdol called back and headed inside.   
  
"We don't really have much time," Duet said earnestly and considered jumping down. A disapproving glance from Duo put an end to that notion, so she simply sat there, indignant and humiliated, until someone helped her.   
  
"Four to six weeks and the bone will knit completely," Quatre said as he inspected Duet's leg. Gently, he touched the place where the leg had been distorted not too long ago. It hurt him to even look at it. Duet winced but didn't say a word. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? It'll only prolong the healing process," Quatre warned and handed her a glass of ice water. Duet nodded and accepted the glass gratefully. She took a long sip and began toying with the end of her braid. "If you want, there are some hot springs behind the house. It would probably do you some good to soak that leg," Quatre offered and stood up.   
  
"I didn't bring…" she began.   
  
"I have twenty-nine sisters. I'm sure we could find something," he smiled and they walked off.  
  
Heero needed time to repair parts of his Gundam that were damaged in his last few battles, so Duet left for the springs. She eased herself into the clear pool, careful of the leg without its bandage. She unbound her long, chestnut braid and waded into the shallow water. When she reached a drop-off, she dove in. When she swam back to the shallows, she was feeling much better. She sat on the rocks around the pond and brushed her hair until it dried. She weaved it back into its long braid except for her bangs and wrapped herself up in the towel she brought. Duet slung Quatre's sister's jeans and tee-shirt over her shoulder and headed back for the house.  
  
~~~  
  
Duo approached Heero while he was working on his Gundam. "What is wrong with you, dragging a girl out there to fight with you when you know she has trouble standing!?" Duo yelled and slammed Heero's laptop shut.   
  
"You're starting to sound like Wufei," Heero replied and continued working.   
  
"Don't you dare let anything happen to her!" Duo warned.   
  
"Quatre and I have already taken care of that," Heero said and stood up, "nothing will happen to her."  
  
~~~  
  
Duet, with a little help from Duo, climbed into her Gundam and sat down. "You sure you'll be okay?" he asked.   
  
"I'll be fine," Duet laughed and the door closed. Duo slunk away and joined Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei on the ground.   
"She's just as stubborn as you are," Trowa remarked. The two Gundams stood up and took off. When they were high enough, they switched to aerial mode and sped off.  
  
~~~  
  
Duet hummed to herself as her Gundam reverted back to mobile suit mode. Heero shot her a glance and changed also. "You seem happy," he observed and paused in the air above the base. Their radars began to beep. Duet whirled and blew away a group of Leos that were approaching from behind.   
  
"Nice shot," she commented as Heero's Beam Cannon wiped out an attacking swarm of mobile dolls. Heero didn't respond, but continued fighting the army of suits that seemed to grow every minute. Duet nodded and also struck out full force. Soon, Duet was out of ammunition and Heero was low. "Watch out!" she cried and drew her Fang. They both slashed with calculated precision, brining down the OZ troops with ease.  
  
Together, they descended towards the base and landed on the runway. "Hmph. They wasted all their firepower in an all-out fight and lost," Heero said matter-o-factly. Duet sheathed her Fang and leaned against her harness, breathing heavily.   
  
"I'm low on fuel," she stated and pressed a few buttons on the control pad.   
  
"Huh?" Heero glanced left. The door to one of the hangars quickly opened and the two Gundams were caught in a hail of gunfire. Heero and Duet were soon separated and mobile suits began to converge upon them.   
  
"See you in the next life!" Duet cried and slammed her fist down on the self-destruct. "Damnit!" she cried and pounded the button repeatedly. "What'd you do to my Gundam!?" Duet demanded of Heero and glared at his image on the vid screen link.   
  
"I couldn't let you do that to Duo," Heero began and blew away an approaching suit squad. Duet's face twisted into a look of confusion. Her hands relaxed around the controls and she shook with emotion. Heero finished their battle and approached Duet's Gundam, but when he got near, Duet lashed out.   
  
She swung at him with her Fang, but Heero deflected it with his own beam saber. Then, out of Washi Ookami's left arm shot a four-pronged claw on the end of long whip. It wrapped around Wing's waist and the claw latched onto its right arm. Heero's beam saber flickered and died, and Washi Ookami's Fang stopped inches away from the spot where Heero sat. His cockpit opened and he stepped out, standing millimeters from the glowing blade. Duet's cockpit also opened and she pulled herself out.   
  
"Why?" Duet asked as the wind teased her hair.   
  
"I told you," Heero answered.   
  
"Don't you realized how important my missions are to me?"   
  
"Are they as important to you as you are to Duo?" he said coldly. Duet opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a voice over the intercom.   
  
"Gundam pilots! I must warn you, if you attack this base, Colony X 9847 will be dropped onto Earth," the voice said. Heero glared at Duet.   
  
"We'll finish this conversation later," Duet hissed and climbed back inside the Washi Ookami.   
  
"Later," Heero agreed. Duet released her hold on Heero's Gundam and together they took off for Quatre's. 


	6. Drop me a line at iamasakuratree!!! www....

The four other pilots were there to welcome them upon their return. Duo was trying hard not to show how happy he was at Duet's return, but a warning glance from Heero told him to back off for a while. Duet helped herself out her Gundam, ignoring Quatre's warnings, and went straight to her room.  
  
"What happened?" Duo asked Heero once Duet had left.   
  
"She found out that I disarmed her self-destruct," Heero replied angrily and brushed him off.   
  
"That's not all, is it?"   
  
"We couldn't destroy the base because they threatened to drop Colony X 9847 onto Earth. If we're going to destroy it, we'll need a crew up in space to keep them from dropping the colony while the others destroy the base," Heero said and headed inside also. "He's angry because he can't do it all by himself," Trowa remarked and they followed him inside.  
  
Duet stripped off her black gloves and threw them onto her dresser. She balanced on the west-facing window and stretched out, looking across the vast lake outside her room. "Can I come in?" Duo asked outside her door. He opened it a crack and peeked in. "I heard what happened," he said and stepped inside.   
  
"I was willing to die. It was the only option I could choose, and it was taken away from me. My life is worth more to you than it is to myself," Duet sighed and hugged her knees. Duo let her vent until she cooled off and wilted against him. They stayed like that for a while, just watching the sun set and not saying anything.  
  
Eventually a knock came at the door and Wufei stepped inside. "Have you heard the plans yet?" he asked and would come in no further.   
  
"What plans?" Duet asked and stood up, flinching as her right foot touched the floor.   
  
"I'll tell her," Duo said when Wufei opened his mouth to explain. He nodded and shut the door behind him as he left.   
  
"What's going on?" Duet asked and stumbled towards her bed.   
  
"We'll need two groups of pilots to complete the mission: one to destroy the base and one to prevent the colony from being dropped," Duo answered and sat down next to her. Duet pulled a tee-shirt and a pair of baggy pants from a bedside drawer that once belonged to one of Quatre's sisters. Duo blushed and turned away when Duet undid her belt. She rolled her eyes and changed as quickly and conservatively as possible.   
  
"So, which group am I in?" Duet asked and Duo turned around.   
  
"You're coming with me and Trowa to the Colony. Heero, Wufei, and Quatre are going to the base. Get plenty of rest tonight. You'll need it," he replied and went to the door.   
  
"Good night, long-haired boy," Duet teased, invoking his nick-name from Maxwell Church. Duo smiled, turned out the lights, and shut the door behind him.  
  
Heero was waiting for him in the hall. Duo mouthed a silent 'thank you' and Heero smirked.   
  
"Did she say anything?" Heero asked as they headed towards the balcony upstairs where the other boys were.   
  
"Besides shameless self-demotion? Not really. Why?" Duo asked.   
  
"We had a little fight," he whispered back.   
  
"What kind of fight?" Duo pressed as he opened the door to the balcony.   
  
"It's not important."   
  
"Why? Did she beat you?" Trowa teased and sat on the balcony railing.   
  
"Actually, yes," Heero stated, ending the conversation.   
  
Wufei snickered."Don't you think it's odd that we've never even heard of her before," he asked and hooked his leg over the arm of his chair.  
  
"We never knew each other until Operation Meteor," Quatre countered in Duet's defense.   
  
"And she did start later than us," Trowa added.   
  
"She certainly fights like a Gundam pilot, eh Heero?" Duo grinned and elbowed him in the ribs. Heero ignored him.   
  
"But can we trust her enough to be part of this mission?" Wufei asked sternly.   
  
"I'd trust her with my life," Quatre said and clutched his heart.   
  
"But not her own."  
  
Duet retreated from her windowsill and crawled back into bed. "Fine, don't trust me," she whispered to herself, "No skin off my nose."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: Kind of short, I know, but I think I've found a way to get this posted in a readable format! 


	7. Pictures from Endless Tango the manga ca...

Quatre was trying unsuccessfully to convince Heero to have something besides coffee for breakfast and Trowa was reading the newspaper when Duet slipped into the dining hall. She grabbed a croissant and a cup of coffee, sat down next to Duo, and remained there unnoticed until Heero spoke to her.  
  
"Good morning. You're up late," he said and put his mug down. Duet smiled at him and went back to her breakfast.   
  
"You ready for today? You look like you could use a few more hours of sleep," Duo grinned and purposefully shoved into her. She shoved him back and fixed her black tee-shirt.   
  
"The job's not gonna get done if we just sit around," Wufei said and pulled on his white coat. The other pilots stood up and put their breakfasts down.   
  
"Let's go..." Duo sighed hopelessly and pushed in his chair.  
  
The six pilots stood side-by-side on the runway, squinting in the early-morning light. "We can't bring our Gundams to the Colony. They'll be too obvious," Trowa stated.   
  
"Yeah. Listen, we'll contact you guys from the computers at the base on the colony so keep your links open," Duo instructed.   
Trowa, Duo, and Duet climbed into the shuttle Quatre had waiting. The others left the runway and the shuttle took off.   
  
"Good luck!" Quatre smiled and waved as it disappeared into the sky.  
  
~~~  
  
Duet stood in between the two boys who were seated in the pilots' chairs. "It'll be a long trip, so we should just sleep it off," Trowa said and typed the Colony's coordinates into the shuttle controls.   
  
"Alright, I'll be in the back," Duet yawned and pulled her black leather trench coat tighter. Duo resettled himself in his chair and leaned back. Soon, everyone was asleep.  
  
The shuttle's radars began to screech and Trowa and Duo instantly grabbed the controls when they awoke. Duet jumped to her feet and rushed to the cockpit. The vid screen sprung to life with the image of an OZ subordinate officer. "State you mission," he commanded.  
  
"We are here under orders from Treize Kushrenada," Trowa replied smoothly, purposefully filling the entire screen.   
  
"And what would those orders be?"   
  
"They are not to be discussed with minor officers. Now, allow us entrance," Trowa demanded and cut the link.   
  
The door to the hangar opened and the shuttle was guided inside by a computer-controlled runway. Once the shuttle was parked, Duo and Duet made a hasty exit. Trowa would stay and find a way to slide into the enemy ranks for a rounded inside job while the other two explored in secret.  
  
"See you soon, Trowa!" Duet laughed and rode her zip-line to the ground. She and Duo disappeared seconds before a troop of OZ soldiers came to greet the shuttle.  
  
~~~  
  
"I hope they don't find it odd that there was only one person on the transport," Duo whispered and peered around a corner.   
  
"I need a gun," Duet sighed and flexed her fingers. Duo's face twisted into a look of confusion. Duet smiled innocently and shrugged.   
  
"Terrorist," Duo mumbled jokingly. "I don't know how we're going to get there, but the main control room is on the other side of the base," he continued as they strode down an empty corridor.   
  
"What's the problem?" Duet asked.   
  
"They're onto us," Duo replied and pointed to a group of OZ soldiers just rounding a corner.   
  
"I'll get 'em!" Duet whispered. She ducked around a corner and fished around in her coat. A moment later, she pulled a small capsule from her pocket and threw it at the group. A thick smoke filled the hall, and together, they charged into it. It didn't take long to knock the surprised soldiers out, and Duet said so as she hoisted one of their machine guns onto her shoulder. She pocketed a handgun and smiled weakly. Duo grabbed another machine gun and leveled it at one end on the hall. They stood back-to-back and fired madly at the approaching hoards of soldiers alerted be the sounds of battle.  
  
"Head for that door!" Duet yelled and they ducked into a small storage room. The fighting outside died and the OZ soldiers began pounding on the door. "I have a plan," she whispered in Duo's ear.   
  
"And that would be?"   
  
"Well, I don't think they're too familiar with Duet Maxine, but the your cute face is probably burned in their memory," Duet smirked.   
  
"Right. I'll distract them while you get out of here. The computer room is-" Duet put a finger over his lips and cut his sentence short.   
  
"I don't know any of that fancy computer stuff, Duo. You're the only one here that can complete this mission," Duet smiled.   
  
"So, no?"   
  
"Give me your clothes."   
  
"What!?" Duo cried.   
  
"Just do it!" she hissed and pulled off her own coat and shirt.   
  
"Whatever you say…" Duo sighed and complied.  
  
You want me!? Come and get me!" The door burst open and a dark figure began firing madly at the surrounding soldiers. A few converged upon the person dressed like a priest, a misleading costume. The soldiers disarmed and handcuffed the figure. It was thrown at the feet of another OZ soldier who pulled it up by its long braid. "Hey, Trowa," it whispered, never meeting his gaze.   
  
"Duo…" Trowa whispered in reply, not letting the recognition show on his face.   
  
"Nope!" the figure grinned, hiding beneath the brim of its black fitted baseball cap.   
  
"Duet!" Trowa choked, covering his surprise in a coughing fit. Unbeknownst to the assembled crowd, another figure in a black trench coat, tee-shirt, and jeans was slinking away in the shadows.   
  
Trowa shoved the Duo imposter into a cell. Duet played along, stumbling and spitting at Trowa's feet. "The Shinigami will be sent back to Hell it seems," he mocked and slammed the door shut.   
  
"Hmmm, mmm, mmm. Looking fine in those OZ pants, Trowa!" Duet laughed, but caught herself, realizing that she was holding up Duo's image. "Hope no one heard me! They might think I, Duo, like boys!" she giggled to herself. 


	8. *turns on stereo* Blemishin' mirror frig...

Duo flipped the collar of Duet's coat up to hide his face and ducked into the computer lab. It was empty save for the huge control panels set up against the metal walls. The door slid shut behind him. He sat down on the stool in front of the main controls and began typing furiously. Heero's image popped up on the vid screen mounted on the wall.  
  
"Where are the others?" he asked.   
  
"Funny you should ask," Duo smirked and continued his rampage across the keyboard. "Connection with OZ Newark base deleted. Their control has been completely severed," he continued.   
  
"It's safe to attack!" Heero called to Quatre and Wufei.   
  
"Over and out!" Duo smiled and closed the link. "That wasn't too difficult. Now to rescue those two-" Duo's sentence was cut short by a fist to the stomach as he spun on the stool.   
  
"So you're the punk chic that escaped from the L4 base, eh?" was all the disoriented Duo heard before he slipped into unconsciousness.   
  
~~~  
  
Heero drew his beam cannon and pointed it at the shuttle the had taken off when they began destroying the base. With one shot, it was completely obliterated. They others made short work of the base, Sandrock and Nataku tearing through the warehouses and destroying the command towers. "Mission: complete," he smirked.   
  
~~~  
  
Duet was lounging in a corner of the cell, toying with the handcuffs that she had easily removed, when Duo was thrown in. "I don't know what's going on here, but that's not a girl," the soldier who was carrying the Duet imposter observed. The real Duet was caught off guard, but became furious when she saw what had happened to Duo. She reached into her trench coat that Duo was wearing and pulled out the handgun she had pocketed a while back. She leveled it at the soldiers, shaking with rage. Then, she fired a few rounds at them, hoisted Duo over her shoulder, and ran.  
  
The few soldiers who where left standing gave chase, but balked when Duet shot at their feet. She rounded a corner and ran straight into Trowa. Gently, he took Duo from her and put an arm around her shoulder to right her. She handed him her gun and he kept it under her chin.   
  
"It's all right. I've got them under control," Trowa said calmly and the other soldiers shrugged them off and left to help their fallen comrades. "You've caused quite a bit of trouble around here," he said once they left.   
  
Duet kneeled down and rubbed her healing leg. "Is he gonna be all right?" she asked and gestured to Duo, who was just beginning to stir.   
  
"Him? Yeah. This isn't the first time someone's punched the living tar out of him," Trowa replied calmly and set him down against the wall.   
  
"I see you're alone. How'd you get them to trust you so fast?" Duet asked and twirled the end of her braid.   
  
"It's not too hard. You've just got to spit every time someone mentions the word 'Gundam' and strut around like you own the place," Trowa sighed and looked around.   
  
"Oh, wake up!" Duet hissed and bashed Duo over the head. Slowly, Duo's eyes opened.   
  
"Wah-!" he shouted, but Duet clamped her hand over his mouth. They helped each other to their feet and looked to Trowa for instructions on what to do next. Trowa snapped on two pairs of handcuffs and pointed a gun at both their heads. Walking behind them, he slowly guided them back to the hangar.  
  
"Just what do you think you're doing?" an OZ soldier asked when he came upon them boarding a shuttle.   
  
"Carrying out my orders," Trowa replied calmly.   
  
"You have no-" the soldier's sentence was cut short when the shuttle's door slammed shut. The soldier pounded a code into the keypad by the exit and the hangar door began to close.   
  
"Hold on!" Duo yelled and the shuttle lurched towards the exit. His fingers sped across the keypad and Quatre's shuttle followed its commands. Machine guns concealed in the wings began firing madly, blowing small holes in the door. The ship shot backwards and rammed it. The titanium alloy shattered under the pressure and the shuttle was free. Trowa, Duo, and Duet hightailed it out of there.  
  
"Ha ha ha! We did it!" Duet cheered and put Trowa in a strangle-hold hug.   
  
"Please, act like a professional!" Trowa said and squirmed out of her embrace.   
  
"A professional what? We made it out of there alive! What's not to celebrate?" Duet laughed and patted Trowa's head.   
  
"Newark base destroyed!" Quatre reported once he'd linked to the ship. "Uhhh…" Duet stopped in her happy rampage and looked at Duo. "You know, forget it. I really don't want to know," he mumbled and the link closed.   
  
"I'm Duet!" Duo laughed and pulled out the front of his shirt.   
  
"Well, I'm the Goddess of Death! Shinmegami!" she smiled back and flipped the brim of Duo's black hat.   
  
"You guys are too weird," Trowa shrugged and reclined in the pilot's chair.   
  
"Do you want these back?" Duet asked and gestured to the priest outfit.   
  
"Not really," Duo replied and hung Duet's trench coat over the back of his chair.   
  
"Fine!" she shot back and shoved him playfully.   
  
"I'll leave you to pilot the ship. I can't get any sleep with you two flirting left and right," Trowa smiled slightly and stood up. "You smiled!" Duet cried happily and held him out in front of her. It only made him smile more. He slipped away from her and disappeared into the passenger area of the shuttle.   
  
Duet sat down in the chair Trowa had vacated and put her feet up on the control panel. "How far back to Quatre's?" she asked and toyed with her collar.   
  
"Too far," Duo replied and put both his legs over one arm of the chair. It didn't take long for both of them to drift off.   
  
Trowa stood in the doorway and smiled at the pair. "Still think you're in Hell, Shinigami?" he asked Duo who had fallen asleep with a wide grin on his face.   
  
Heero, Quatre, and Wufei were there to welcome the shuttle home when it landed. When Duo and Duet came bounding down the stairs, they saw nothing amiss until "Duo" stumbled over his right leg. Quatre smiled, but Heero and Wufei were just confused. Trowa stuck his head out the door and slowly made his way down the steps. He and Quatre exchanged glances and grinned.  
  
"What happened to you, Duo?" Heero asked the Duo imposter.   
  
"Damn OZ soldiers," Duet mumbled, trying her best to sound like Duo and succeeding.   
  
"Lucky for you I was there," Duo added, raising his voice an octave. His voice cracked and the four who knew what was going on burst out in fits of giggles. Heero and Wufei got their worst scare when who that thought was Duet began talking in a deep, boyish voice.   
  
"You would think you would have figured it out when I contacted you," Duo said and poked Heero in the shoulder.   
  
"What are you talking about, Duet," he asked and back away.   
  
"God! I'm not Duet!" Duo laughed.   
  
"God! I'm not Duet!" Duet mimicked.   
  
"What's wrong with you two?" Wufei asked and the pair fixed him with identical confused looks.   
  
"C'mon, Heero! You know me!" Duet pouted and hugged Heero around the chest.   
  
"Duo! What are you doing!?" Heero cried and tried to pry Duet off. Trowa pulled them apart and goaded Duet over towards Duo. They stood side by side in identical poses and laughed.   
  
"They switched outfits to confuse OZ. Duet even fooled me, but apparently, nothing gets by Quatre," Trowa explained.   
  
"Well, Duo doesn't exactly have a habit of hugging Trowa," Quatre smiled and shrugged helplessly. Duet removed Duo's baseball cap and Duo untied Duet's trench coat and Heero sighed in relief.   
  
"He's huggable! Like a big teddy bear!" Duet cried and latched onto him again.  
  
"Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference. Duet had to tell me," Trowa said once everyone was inside. Duo and Duet were both wearing the priest outfits since Duo had convinced Duet not to get changed.   
  
"It's still confusing," Wufei sighed and glanced at the two of them.   
  
"Well, Duo's the one without the cup size, factually speaking," Heero explained. Duet looked a little indignant, but mostly ignored the comment. 


	9. maladjusted, just untrusted rusted somet...

((A/N: This right here would be some of that fan service… This was not exactly part of the script. The script had Duo and Duet sneaking off to a sleazy bar and turning up with hangovers in the morning. Such a good message Duet sends to little children!))  
  
"For Gami's sake! Just how many hours do they need to sleep a day? Didn't they sleep there and back," Quatre complained and glanced at the pair passed out on the couch.   
  
"Four rounds of shots will do that to you," Trowa explained.   
  
"Duet can really put that stuff away. I think Wufei is still trying to forget it," Heero, who had made it through all four rounds, said and picked up the shot glasses. Quatre dislodged a glass from the sleeping Duet's hand and she rolled off the couch.   
  
"Just leave her," Trowa laughed.   
  
"Okay, Mister 'I'll just have a glass of wine.' We'll leave you to deal with those two when they wake up," Heero smirked and took Trowa's empty wine glass.   
  
"More than Quatre had," Trowa retorted.   
  
"Well, we are all under age. Besides, Rasid would have my head," Quatre remarked.   
  
Trowa hoisted Duet over his shoulder and dragged Duo along with his other arm. Duet awoke in a drunken stupor and began babbling incoherently. "And you know I really, really love you guys. Gee, you're so great. Bishounen everywhere! Heh heh heh! Bishies…" she babbled. Trowa smiled as he placed her in her bed. "I love you, Duo!" she told her pillow and fell asleep again. He rolled his eyes and left the unconscious Duo on the floor near Duet's bed.  
  
Trowa returned to the rec room smiling. "That Duet has certainly stirred something in your heart, Trowa. I think this is the first time I've seen a marathon smile on your face!" Quatre laughed and sat in one of the eggshell chairs around the room.   
  
Wufei was stretched out on the couch with cold cloth on his forehead. "Ooow..." he groaned and held his head.   
  
"I told him to chase it with a beer," Heero sighed and downed a cup of saké.   
  
"I'm happy those two found each other, though. Duo was just too damn morbid before she got here," Trowa remarked.   
  
"Yeah, but at least he wasn't a drunken, lovesick little…" Wufei trailed off and coughed.   
  
"Oh, you like her, too. Don't kid yourself!" Quatre exclaimed.   
  
"I don't not! She is a weakling woman and not suited for the battlefield!" he retorted and held his head.   
  
"That's not what you said an hour ago," Trowa snickered.   
  
"Did not!"   
  
"Yes, you did, and it only took two glasses to do it," Heero said quite seriously.   
  
"Well, I'm sorry we can't all be like you. You made it through four rounds of shots and you're sitting there drinking rice beer. That is wrong on so many levels," Wufei cried and gestured wildly with his arms. Heero smiled knowingly and raised his half-full glass.  
  
~~~  
  
Trowa, Heero, Quatre, and Wufei were eating breakfast when they were startled by a crash at the foot of the stairs. Before anyone could move, Duet slunk into the room, grabbed the coffee pot, and sat next to Wufei.   
  
"Would you like a mug with that?" he asked as Duet stared intently at the liquid. She cast him a sideways glance and continued to stare.   
  
"Are you awake?" Quatre asked and waved a hand in front of her eyes.   
  
"No..." she groaned.   
  
"I told you not to drink so much," Trowa said and patted her hand.   
  
"You did?" she asked groggily and turned her gaze on him.   
  
"Where's your other half?" Heero asked and handed her a beer instead of coffee.   
  
"I like your solution to my problem," she murmured and swallowed the saké hard.   
  
"Feel better?"   
  
"Actually, yes," she replied and rubbed her eyes.  
  
"Why does that work?" Wufei asked and took a swig of the rice beer. "That tastes awful!" he spat and tried to dilute the taste with glasses of orange juice.   
  
"I like it," Duet grinned and poured herself some more.   
  
"Not too much or it won't do you any good later," Heero warned.   
  
"Suddenly Heero is the expert on alcoholic beverages and Trowa is smiling? What is this world coming to?" Quatre teased and took Duet's empty beer mug.  
  
"I think Duo's sleeping on my floor, but I could be wrong. I stepped on something and it said 'Itai!," Duet offered as she helped Quatre carry the dishes into the kitchen.   
  
"He is, so it's a good thing you didn't get changed this morning," Trowa said and eyed the crumpled priest outfit Duet was wearing.   
  
"I have a hangover!" someone yelled from the dining hall.   
  
"And he's awake!" Quatre chimed. Heero retrieved the saké from the fridge and went to meet him.   
  
"I don't get it, but it works every time," Wufei shrugged once Duo had been revived by the beer.   
  
"Don't question the almighty power of saké," Duet smirked.   
  
"Whose is this!?" someone roared from the kitchen. Rasid came storming out holding a bottle of beer. He glared at the assembled group of kids and frowned. "Quatre!?" he demanded.   
  
"Yes, it was me…" Quatre sighed, trying to cover up for Heero and the others.   
  
"Don't be silly, Quatre. You don't even like beer! It's mine, sir. I'm sorry," Duet explained.   
  
"All right, young lady. As long as your parents say it's all right, I have no objections. I'm not trying to raise you," Rasid replied and handed her the bottle.   
  
"They don't mind," she mumbled. Rasid smiled and left them. "They're dead," Duet finished and took a big gulp.   
  
"Why'd you cover for me?" Quatre asked and gestured to the bottle.   
  
"Cuz they'd never forgive you. Besides, it was Heero's," she answered and shot him a look.   
  
"And why did you cover for me?" he asked.   
  
"Don't know!" she chimed and put an arm around his shoulders. " Sheesh! Is it so hard to get a simple thank-you around here?" she added with a helpless shrug.   
  
"Baka," Heero sighed and playfully shoved her away.   
  
"You guys really need to lighten up!" Duet laughed and latched onto Duo.   
  
"That's what I've been telling them all along!" Duo exclaimed and helped himself to some of the beer.   
  
"And Bakagami," Wufei tacked on and walked away.   
  
"Is it just me he has a problem with or is it the entire human race?" Duet frowned and stuck her tongue out at him as he walked away.   
  
"Women," Trowa replied without emotion and left also.   
  
"Brings a whole new meaning to the word 'clown'…" Duo sighed. 


	10. I was silent riding shotgun chewing on s...

((A/N; Again, this wasn't part of the script, it was a tiny little story at the end of the first doujinshi installment (all done in semi-super-deform!!!) . I just put this in cuz I though it was funny! Enjoy!))  
  
"What exactly do you guys do in your free time?" Duet asked and placed a black piece on Quatre's GO board.   
  
"Well, Trowa works at the circus. Duo likes to flirt because he considers it a sport but-" Duo cut Quatre off with a menacing glance.   
  
"Ignore him and go on, Quatre-kun," Duet smiled sweetly and Duo fumed.   
  
"But, as I was going to say, the game has recently come to an abrupt halt. Your turn," Quatre grinned. Duo clenched his fist, and considered beating Quatre over the head with it, but the look he received from Duet put an end to any negative emotion he was feeling. "Duet, it's your turn," Quatre said. Duet looked away from Duo and smiled at Quatre.   
  
"Damn you…" she muttered jokingly and searched the game board for a place to put her chip.   
  
"And for the fourth consecutive time, Duet has been beaten," Heero announced. Duet glared at him and winged the board at his head. He ducked and laughed at her, but was soon silenced by a pillow to the face. He retaliated with a couch cushion, but ended up nailing Trowa.  
  
"Someone's not coming out of this alive," Duo smirked and grabbed another cushion to join the war.   
  
"Play is for weaklings," Wufei hissed and moved away from the brawl.   
  
"Uh-uh! Get back here!" Duo laughed and dragged Wufei into the fight.   
  
"Oh, please be careful not to hurt- Wah!" Quatre sputtered when a pillow hit him in the face.   
  
"Childish fools! Let me go!" Wufei cried and struggled as Trowa smothered him with another pillow.   
  
"Hehehehe...! C'mon! Stop!" Duet laughed as Heero and Quatre held her down and Duo tickled her.   
  
"You're the evil power that started the war in the first place!" Trowa smirked. Wufei, gasping and panting, stood up and shot them a disapproving glance.   
  
"As Gundam pilots you should be ashamed-" Wufei stopped suddenly when the others began to grin evilly. "I must warn you. If you touch me again I will hurt you," he said and turned his back on them. WHAP! A pillow slammed into his back and sent him sprawling forward. Laughter erupted and Wufei turned red. He stormed out of the room and down the hall.  
  
"That guy's really gotta learn to relax," Trowa said and placed the cushions back onto the couch.   
  
"Can I get up now?" Duet asked and tried to pry her arm out of Heero's iron grasp.   
  
"Sure," Heero smirked and let go of her. He pushed off Duo's back to stand up and ended up shoving him into a fall. Duo landed almost face-to-face with Duet and blushed furiously.   
  
"Uh, Duo?" Quatre whispered when neither moved after a few seconds.   
  
"HEERO!" Duo yelled and rolled to the side. He stood up and glared at Heero, still blushing. "If I may borrow you catch phrase, OMEA O KOROSU!!!!!" Duo yelled and threw a punch.   
  
Heero caught the punch and, as quietly as he could, whispered, "A simple thank-you would have done just as well." Duo glanced over at Duet who was being helped to her feet by Quatre.   
  
"Arigatou," he murmured and Heero let his fist go. 


	11. Calico cats and calico dreams! That ain'...

((another A/N: Semi-fan-service!!! I changed the shows so you as Americans would understand… Quatre really wanted to watch Doreamon! Though Wu Fei seems to have a deep respect for Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Um, Geeze… I wish I could scan the manga… It's so cool how Kurokawa goes from the sharp, serious sketches to these kawaii not-quite-chibis! Never losing the beat of the story! And, no, the fan service is never supposed to appear in the script...))  
  
"Where's Duet?" Duo yawned and plopped down on the couch. He wiggled his toes in his Ryo-ohki slippers and reached for the remote.   
  
"Not likely," Trowa said and grabbed it.   
  
"No one wants to watch the Discovery Channel, Trowa," Heero said and pulled it out of Trowa's hands.   
  
"There's a special on PBS tonight, guys!" Quatre explained and grasped for the remote which Heero held just out of his reach.   
  
"That old movie Operation Condor's on channel five," Wufei said and grabbed the remote.   
  
"But Whose Line is it Anyway is on!" Duo complained and tried to get it away from Wufei.   
  
"Ranma!!! Just what do you think you're doing!?" yelled the blue-haired girl on the television. Slowly, the boys turned to watch and decided it was as good as anything they could come up with. Duet stepped away from the TV.   
  
When the five weren't looking, she slipped down the hall and soon found her way into the hangar. Six Gundams knelt side-by-side in the huge warehouse. "Washi Ookami," Duet said and sat down on the open cockpit door. "I think I love him," she whispered and lovingly caressed the Gundanium alloy along the door frame. "Hmmm, Howard said I needed more friends," she laughed in self-mocking and lay back on the door with her hands behind her head. Duet studied the cockpit for a moment, smiling sadly. "Now, how am I gonna fix you…?"   
  
"Hey, you up there!" Heero called from the floor. Duet rolled over and looked down. "You need help?" he asked. Duet nodded as he climbed up.   
  
"I noticed something about your suit back on L4," he told Duet as they worked to repair damage from the last battle. Duet froze and stared down. "Your suit shares characteristics with all five of our MS," he continued, sparing her only a slight glance. She relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.   
  
"Yes, it was designed by all five of the engineers together. They wanted my suit to be the best fighter, but of course there is no such thing," she said and continued working. Heero shot her a confused look and smiled.   
  
"We underestimated you," he said as he connected a pair of wires.   
  
"Because I'm a girl," Duet added. "I'm a girl and I'm a kid. I should be the embodiment of gentleness and kindness and God knows I'm anything but. It's supposed to be my advantage, being underestimated," she explained.   
  
"Hmmm," Heero nodded at the logic.  
  
What's this? Heero wondered as he inspected the cockpit of the Washi Ookami. No… he thought, No! They did want it to be the best Gundam! They weren't going to let the Gundam be held back and kept from its full potential by an insecure pilot! Dr. J and the others didn't take any chances.  
  
"What is it, Heero?" Duet asked as she peered upside down from the top of the doorway.   
  
"You Gundam has the Zero System," he accused. The smile on her face disappeared instantly. She jumped down from her perch and walked up to him.   
  
"I told you. Professor G said it was supposed to be perfect, and for the suit to be perfect, the pilot has to be perfect. No distractions, no emotions, no decisions," she hissed.   
  
"But when we fought! Why didn't you kill me as the Zero System would have had you...?" Heero asked and stared straight into Duet's liquid blue eyes, his sentence trailing off. Her blue eyes were so much like the ones belonging to the girl whom he both loved and hated. They looked the same, but what was behind them was so different that the two girls could only be described as opposites. There was some in Duet's eyes that couldn't be found in Relena's, and it was very attractive. Her wild, playful, unbreakable spirit was so different from the calm, peaceful soul Relena possessed.  
  
With one hand, Heero grasped Duet's shoulder and kissed her. When he released her, she remained where she was, standing with her eyes closed. "Self control, Heero," she said coldly and left him standing in the cockpit wondering if she meant the Zero System or the kiss.  
  
~~~  
Duet slowly made her way back to her room. She stared at her feet while she climbed the steps, her eyes not really focusing. "Duet?" someone whispered and touched her shoulder where Heero had. She jerked away. "Are you all right?" Quatre asked and held both of her arms.   
  
"Oh, yeah. You just surprised me, Quatre," she replied and he let her go.   
  
"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded and lowered her gaze.   
  
"Where's Duo?" she mumbled.   
  
"He's upstairs. C'mon," Quatre answered and led her to Duo's room.  
  
"Arigatou," she whispered and looked up at Quatre.   
  
"Sure," he smiled and walked off to his own room. Duet open Duo's door a crack and peered inside.   
  
"No, I'm not asleep, and yes, please come in," Duo said and sat up in his bed. He switched on the bedside table lamp and Duet sat on the corner of his bed. "What's with the guilty look? You do something wrong?" he asked and gently pulled on her long braid. She shrugged and hugged one of Duo's pillows. "Listen, if you broke something of Quatre's, then don't worry. Been there, done that. He doesn't care and besides, I don't think there's something in this house I haven't already broken," Duo explained.   
  
"It's not that," Duet laughed and whacked him with the pillow she was holding.   
  
"Oh no! Not the pillow again!" Duo yelled and dragged her down next to him. Duet giggled uncontrollably and struggled to escape. "Now, tell me why you were so gloomy," he demanded and tickled her ribs. Duet kissed him full on the lips and smiled.   
  
"Nothing anymore!" she grinned and hugged the stunned pilot.   
  
"What was that for?"   
  
"Just checking," she replied. Just then, Trowa opened the door.   
  
"I'll leave," he said and shut the door quickly.   
  
"Trowa, get the Hell back in here! What do you want!?" Duo yelled and yanked the door open. Trowa covered his mouth and laughed to himself. "That is so NOT funny!" Duo yelled and Trowa walked off.  
  
"What'd he want?" Duet asked and peeked at Trowa around Duo's shoulder.   
  
"You think you know a guy…" Duo mumbled.   
  
"You? Think?" Wufei asked as he strolled by.   
  
"Doesn't anyone ever sleep around here!?" Duo yelled and waved his fist.   
  
"Not with you yelling so loud, Maxwell," Heero stated and closed his door.   
  
"Goodnight, Duo," Duet smirked and kissed him on the cheek.   
  
"What can I say? I'm a babe magnet," Duo sighed and shrugged.   
  
"Yes, well the babe-less ones around here are TIRED! Shut up and go to sleep!" Wufei shouted from the end of the hall.   
  
"Goodnight, everyone," Quatre called and shut his door. Five voiced echoed in reply.  
  
~~~  
  
Quatre sighed and stared at the ceiling. "I feel so guilty," he whispered and clutched his heart, "Why isn't the soul of outer space guiding me?" 


	12. And just like the movies, we play out ou...

((A/N: I like A/Ns))  
  
"Duo, it's me! Hilde! Are you awake yet? Duo!" yelled the image of a purple-haired girl on the laptop resting on Duo's desk.   
  
"Duet...?" Duo mumbled and lifted his head from his pillow. "Wah! Hilde!" Duo gasped and pulled his blanket to cover his bare chest. "Long time, no see!"   
  
"I take it you're on a vacation? Or do you normally sleep until noon?" Hilde asked and smiled at him across the link.   
  
"The Shinigami needs to be well-rested to carry out his grim duties," Duo replied and sat down in the desk chair.   
  
"Well, looks like I'm going to be in the area, so I'll stop by to check on you! You better not be slacking off!" Hilde chimed and cut the link.   
  
"Why does this keep happening to me…?" Duo groaned and held his forehead.  
  
"You up yet?" Quatre asked and knocked on Duo's door.   
  
"Yeah. Come in…" Duo sighed and stood up.   
  
"I brought you some tea. Who were you talking to?" Quatre asked and set the cups and teapot on the desk.   
  
"Hilde was on the line. She's the one who helped me back at the Lunar Base," he replied and poured himself some tea.   
  
"And what'd she say?" Quatre pressed and sat down.   
  
"That's she's stopping by!" Duo cried and slouched down in his chair.   
  
"Ah, one of the "babes" you attracted, ne? You told her how to get here?" he laughed.   
  
"Yeah, I wasn't thinking," Duo gagged.  
  
"You think I can make it into the pool if I jump from here?" someone outside yelled. Duo and Quatre ran to the window and looked up. Duet was standing on the balcony railing, a good three stories above Quatre's pool.   
  
"No! Are you crazy!?" Wufei yelled from the ground.   
  
"Yes!" Duet replied and jumped off.   
  
"I can't watch," Duo grimaced and turned away. There was a loud splash and flecks of cold water came through the window and hit his bare back even though the pool was twenty feet below him.   
  
"Whooo!" Duet yelled once she surfaced.   
  
"You're insane!" Quatre yelled out the window, trying not to laugh.   
  
"I know!" she replied.   
  
"Death by stupidity…" Heero grumbled and toweled himself off, even though he hadn't even gotten in the pool yet.  
  
"That was wild! Let's do it again!" Duet cheered and climbed out of the pool. Trowa threw her a towel and she dried off.   
  
"And we made fun of Heero for being suicidal," Duo teased as he and Quatre leaned out the window.   
  
"Jump! I dare you!" she yelled back. Duo climbed onto the window sill still only wearing his baggy pajama pants.   
  
"Get back in here!" Quatre yelled and tried to pull him inside.   
  
"Duo Maxwell, if the fall doesn't kill you, I will!" Hilde yelled and burst through the pool gate.   
  
"Hilde, what are you doing here!?"   
  
"I told you I was coming!" she replied.  
  
"So soon?" Duo practically whined and fell back inside the window.  
  
~~~  
  
"I thought you'd be happy to see me?" Hilde cried once everyone was downstairs. Duet and anyone who was anywhere near the pool when she took her crazy dive was preoccupied with drying off and didn't spare the new girl anything more than a glance.   
  
"I-I am! I just wasn't expecting you so soon!" Duo replied.   
  
"Tea?" Quatre asked and offered her a cup.   
  
"No, thank you," Hilde smiled. "And what kind of bone-headed stunt were you just about to pull, huh? You could have gotten hurt, or worse!" she continued.   
  
"Uhhh…" Duo blinked and tried to ignore the snickers from the other pilots. "Listen, Hilde. Now is not a good time," he warned and tried to walk away, but Hilde grabbed his arm. Duet fixed her with an angry stare.  
  
"And who is this, Duo? Hmmm? Your side dish? She cute. Where'd you find her? The pound?" Hilde asked angrily. Duet, used to cat-calls and trash-talk on the battlefield, ignored her. Duo, however, wouldn't stand for it.   
  
"How DARE you?" he hissed and spun on her. Hilde looked frightened. "Baka," Duo spat and stalked out of the room. If Hilde expected help from the other pilots, she would receive none. She no longer had any friends in the room. Even the kind Quatre was angered by her remarks.   
  
"Avdol, please escort this woman off the estate," he said coldly and turned his back on her. "Are you all right?" Quatre asked and put a hand on Duet's shoulder.   
  
"I'm fine. My ego's sustained some damage, but I'm fine," Duet sighed half-heartedly and got up to leave.   
  
"Oh, Duet? For the record, that was a pretty cool jump," Heero said in his sincerest voice.   
  
"What was that? Chicken Soup for the Terrorist's Ego?" Duo asked, back to his bright, bouncy self.   
  
"Ha ha," Duet mumbled and shoved him outside into the hall. "Exactly who was that?" she asked once she had him cornered.   
  
"Hilde? She helped me on a mission a while back. I boarded with her for a while on Colony L2," Duo explained.   
  
"As in 'boarded, boarded' with her?" Duet pressed.   
  
"No! Not like that. I stayed with her because I had nowhere else to go. I didn't even let her cook for me!" he stammered.   
  
"Alright. I believe you, Shinigami," Duet smirked and kissed him.   
  
"Now that you two have kissed and made up… The day is hot and the pool is cold," Trowa said and crossed his arms.   
  
"Well, someone had the brilliant idea to build a mansion in the desert," Duo joked and glanced at Quatre.   
  
"It's an oasis!" Quatre retorted and left to change into his suit. Duo rolled up his baggy pajama pants that he was still wearing and started after the group heading towards the pool.   
  
"Nice try, Duo. Go put a bathing suit on, you lazy baka," Wufei berated and Duo sulked back inside.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: I hope it doesn't bother anyone that I've left a few words untranslated… I think it helps keep that authentic feel by staying as close to the manga as possible without having to post on the Japanese mirror. And, yes, Duet really was supposed to dive off the balcony and all that. What follows is, you guessed it, more fan service! But the conflict with Hilde here is why Duo is so angry when he sees her in space during the Libra battle… 


	13. BTW... Thank you, Ryo, for sending me al...

"Sonar!" Quatre called and stumbled around blindly in the shallow end of the pool.   
  
"Radar!" five voices chorused followed by splashes and laughs.   
  
"So- Wah!" Quatre cried as he slipped on the slope into the deep end.   
  
"Can Quatre swim?" Heero asked and looked at the others.   
  
"Don't think so," Duo replied and watched as Quatre flailed.   
  
"Well…?" Heero began.   
  
"Baka!" Duet yelled and swam towards the fourth Gundam pilot. She pulled him to the side of the pool and the others dragged him up onto the concrete.   
  
"He's not breathing… Man… I'm not doing it this time," Duo groaned. Duet rolled her eyes and opened Quatre's mouth. Trowa forced the air out of Quatre's lungs along with a fair amount of water, and Duet forced oxygen back in. They had to repeat the process three or four times before Quatre began to splutter and cough. He sat up and glanced around. He sighed in relief and lay back down on the wet concrete.   
  
"Thank God the Magunacs didn't see!" he exclaimed. "And thank you for rescuing me," he added sheepishly and couldn't bring himself to look Duet in the face.   
  
"Now we're even," she grinned.  
  
"Dude, you've got a pool and you can't even swim?" Duo asked, a bit perplexed.   
  
"Well, I like to entertain guests…" he replied and perched on his elbows.   
  
"Yes, that little show was quite entertaining," Wufei said and crossed his arms. Heero shot him a look. "It was!" he cried and held up his arms in surrender. Duet helped Quatre to his feet and handed him a towel.  
  
~~~  
  
Duo sat at the coffee table in the living room surfing the web with his laptop and munching on some pocky. "You gonna share?" Heero asked and plopped down on the couch. Both had towels around their waists and Duo's hair was untied since they had showered after they got out of the pool.   
  
"Here. Who's in the shower now?" Duo asked and handed him the box.   
  
"Duet and Trowa," Heero replied and helped himself.   
  
"Together!?" Duo cried and jumped to his feet.   
  
"No! Duet's upstairs and Trowa's in his room! What's with you?" Heero scolded and waved a stick of pocky at him.   
  
Duo snatched it and snapped it in half. "I dunno. I'm worried about her, I guess. She was all depressed last night, and then Hilde opened her big mouth today… I don't think she's too happy here," he explained and shut his laptop.   
  
"What are you guys talking about?" Duet asked and walked in. She was wearing only a towel and her hair was unbound. Altogether, she looked a lot different from the rag-tag, leather-clad pilot that had held Duo at knife-point less than two weeks ago.   
  
"What are you looking at?" she asked and swiped a pocky stick from the box Heero was holding. They snapped back into reality when Trowa rounded the corner. His bangs were hanging limply over one side of his face and he held his towel around his waist. He stood behind Duet and looked into the living room.   
  
"Who's in the shower now?" Duet asked and looked up at him.   
  
"Quatre and Wufei," Trowa replied and did a double-take when he saw both Duo and Duet with their hair down.   
  
"Together?" Heero asked and gave a slight smirk.   
  
"No, Quatre's in his room and- Heero, that's not funny," Trowa sighed and swatted at his bangs.   
  
"You killed my joke," Duo pouted and crossed his arms.   
  
"Along with many other things," Trowa added smugly and Duet giggled.  
  
Quatre came bounding into the room, soaking wet, holding his towel with one hand and the phone with his other. "It's for you," he panted and tossed it to Heero.   
  
"Hello?" Heero asked and the others crowded around trying to listen. "Alright, let me check with them," he sighed and held his hand over the mouthpiece. "Relena Peacecraft wants to know if the Gundam Pilots will appear at a Benefit Banquet," Heero explained.   
  
"Banquet?" Duo asked hopefully.   
  
"What's the catch?" Trowa asked and settled onto the arm of the couch.   
  
"Banquet?" Duet smiled innocently and nudged Duo. Simultaneously, they assumed begging poses and fixed him with puppy eyes.  
  
"Quatre feeds us," Heero hissed and rolled his eyes.   
  
"They've agreed to come," he told Relena.  
  
"I haven't agreed to anything," Wufei said and walked into the room. Everyone froze when they noticed Wufei's hair was undone. Quatre, Duo, and Duet began to giggle when Wufei's cheeks flushed red. He stormed out of the room.   
  
"Relena said we could bring Duet, too," Heero added absent-mindedly.   
  
"Is she implying that I'm not a Gundam Pilot!?" Duet cried and lunged for the phone. Trowa and Quatre held her back with their free hands and Duo clicked his tongue. "Gimme the phone!" she growled and grasped for it. Heero dangled it just out of her reach and smiled.  
  
"Wah!" Quatre yelled and let her go when she lunged again.   
  
She grabbed the phone and held it away from her face. "YOU WEAKLING PACIFIST!!!!!" Duet yelled.   
  
"Is that Wufei?" Relena asked innocently.   
  
"YOUR IDEAL WORLD IS AN IMPOSSIBLE WISH!!! YOU CANNOT ACHIEVE PEACE BY DISCARDING WEAPONS, SO YOU HAD BETTER RESPECT THE SOLDIERS WHO WILL EARN IT WITH THEIR BLOOD!" Duet yelled and Duo carefully plucked the phone out of her grasp. She breathed heavily and glared at her clenched fingers.   
  
"Tomorrow? Five? We'll be there. Kay. Bye," he said and hung up the phone. "You do know what you just got us into, don't you?" Duo asked Heero and pulled Duet down onto the couch next to him. She clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly.   
  
"A Benefit Banquet?" he sighed.   
  
"Benefit being the key word here. She wants us to sing a song. Any song as long as it's not violent and doesn't mention 'war' or 'death.' Happy songs!" Duo explained, feigning joy.   
  
"I told you there was a catch. There's always a catch…" Trowa murmured.  
  
"I don't have to do anything, do I?" Duet asked and toyed with Duo's hair.   
  
"Well, you are a Gundam pilot…" Quatre replied.   
  
"Do realize that you're all sitting around in only your towels?" Wufei asked and appeared in his usual outfit. The five exchanged glances and scurried off to their rooms.  
  
"Duo! Get out!" Duet yelled and shoved him out of her room. She smiled and shut the door on him. He returned to his own room and shut the door. A few seconds later, they both exited their rooms, smiled as they passed each other in the hall, and entered each other's rooms.   
  
"Alright. This isn't funny. Who has my bra?" Duet yelled and opened her door, still wearing her towel. Quatre, who had already changed, stopped in front of her.   
  
"I probably have one you could wear," he offered.   
  
"I hope you're kidding," Heero said and ruffled his nearly-dry hair to fix his bangs.   
  
"They belong to my sisters" Quatre explained.   
  
"Well, no need. I have a pretty good idea where it went," Trowa sighed and glanced at Duo's room.   
  
"What is this and why was it my room?" Wufei asked and held up a black bra by one of its straps.   
  
"It's mine and I don't know," Duet growled, grabbed it away from him, and disappeared into her room again.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N : Sonar/radar game was another little extra story at the back of the second manga. (It's a pretty big mini-series series here) The shower thing was supposed to be in the show, but again, not appropriate. It may not seem bad, but I have taken the liberty of editing the very worst of scenes to make this story acceptable to readers. Don't worry, you hentai *evil glint* I'll post the good stuff later... 


	14. Pain for pleasure, he's the hunter, you'...

"You should leave you hair down for tomorrow," Quatre suggested and glanced at Duet's chestnut mane, still unbraided.   
  
"It's a pain to keep it loose," she sighed and continued weaving Duo's hair.   
  
Trowa "I think it looks nice."   
  
"Well, seeing as you've hit my vain spot, now I have to wear it down, don't I?" Duet smirked without looking up.   
  
"I'm not even going to ask about the story behind your braid, but isn't all that hair heavy?" Heero asked and munched on an apple.  
  
"Eh," Duo and Duet replied and shrugged in unison. The corners of Heero's mouth curved upwards in some semblance of a grin and the others started to crack up.  
  
"What's so funny?" Duo asked and exchanged confused looks with Duet.   
  
"You two are too much," Wufei muttered and wiped a little tear from his eye.   
  
"They must be on some secret 'braided-baka' wavelength," Trowa teased.   
  
"Don't call me that!" the pair cried angrily, still not seeing the humor in any of this.   
  
"Stop, please!" Quatre laughed and gasped for air.   
  
"What's wrong?" Rasid boomed and everyone jumped.  
  
"No-nothing, Rasid," Quatre replied and tried to breathe regularly, but failed miserably when he broke into another fit of giggles. Rasid looked around the room. Four pilots were recovering from near-hysterics and two seemed very confused.   
  
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he asked as the four swiped at their eyes.   
  
"Yes, Rasid. Oh, and we have plans for tomorrow, so if you could arrange some transportation?" Quatre added politely and straightened up.   
  
"Of course, Master Quatre," Rasid replied and bowed. Once he left, the boys plopped down on the couch, out of breath, but relieved. Duo stood up and examined his braid.   
  
"Thanks, babe," he smirked and gave Duet a peck on the cheek. The other boys' expressions instantly lost some of their mirth.   
  
~~~  
  
"So we hafta sing tomorrow?" Wufei asked and folded his arms over his pillow. Everyone was hanging around the room in their yellow pajamas with corresponding numbers, and Duet wearing an extra pair of Duo's, naturally.  
  
"Trowa performs a lot. He can probably teach us!" Quatre exclaimed and looked hopefully at the taller boy stretched out in his green sleeping bag on the living room floor.   
  
"I'm a gymnast, I don't sing," Trowa replied.   
  
"Well, it would help if we knew what song we were singing…" Heero yawned and pulled his dark blue cover up to his shoulders. Quatre frowned and crawled into his yellowish-orange bag. Duo squirmed in his black sleeping bag until he managed to flip the whole this over so he could lay on his stomach.   
  
"Does anyone know any good songs?" he asked and tried to untangle his feet.  
  
"You're hopeless," Duet sighed and left her own indigo bag to help him. "And I'm tone-deaf," she added and sat cross-legged, hugging her pillow.   
  
"Maybe we should do one of those really old songs. You know, before they all either protested war or glorified battles…" Quatre suggested and walked out of the room. He returned a few seconds later with a dust-covered vinyl case.  
  
"What's in there?" Trowa asked and rolled over so he could see. Quatre blew the dust off the top and undid the zipper along the side.   
  
"They're huge!" Duo remarked as Quatre held up a CD.   
  
"Yes, well people back then didn't have the technology we have," Quatre smirked and held up a walkman. "They listened to stuff on these."   
  
"-suck it up kid, assume battle poise It's a lonely time for yours truly I know I don't need to stay awake in my nightmare I feel so alive In my dreamscape escapades I make the grade I save the day-" Heero pushed the "stop" button and sighed. Everyone was staring at him.   
  
"What?" he asked and removed the CD.   
  
"It's like they were singing about you," Duet blinked and turned to the vinyl case for another disc. "Fuel!" she grinned triumphantly and put it in.   
  
"I choose next!" Duo called. Their music expedition was turning into a regular field trip. Even Wufei and Trowa would crack an occasional smile when the lyrics would get a little ecchi or when the even numbers would start singing, even though they didn't know the words. It turned into an impressive humming contest when the played "Bon Jovi: Crossroads."   
  
"Hmmm," Duet mused as she peered at the paper describing each song.   
  
"Satan, you know where I lie, Gently I go into that good night, All of our lives get complicated, Search for pleasures overrated, Never armed our souls, For what the future would hold, When we were innocent, Angels, lend me your might, Forfeit all my lives to get just one right-"   
  
Duo stopped the song when Duet's eyes wavered. "You alright?" he asked and put an arm around her shoulders.   
  
"Yeah," she replied and took the CD out.   
  
"Profound," Trowa remarked and Duet smiled at him.   
  
"That's the word."  
  
"-If you wanna fly, come and take a ride with me, Take a space ride with the cowboy, baby, If you wanna fly, come and take a ride, Take a space ride with the cowboy, baby, Why-yi-yi-yippie-yi-yay-yippie-yi-yo-yippie-yi-yay-"   
  
Wufei slammed the stop button down and blushed. "It looked like a good song," he cried and held up the lyrics. Trowa moved to take it out, but Heero stopped him.   
  
"Put it on number seven," he said and took the lyrics sheet. Trowa pushed play again and sat back   
  
"Baby you're not the only one, Ooh yeah, hey yeah, I see the things he does to you, All the pain her puts you through, And I see what's really goin' on, Stayin' out at night while your by the phone, Take it from me, There's a lesson to be learned, Even the good guys get burned, Take it from me, see I would give you love, The kind of love you only dreamed of-" Heero stopped the CD again.   
  
"What's left?" he asked and Duo waved a yellow disc.   
  
"It has an MS on the cover!" he stated proudly when Quatre placed it in the player. The small pair of speakers began to vibrate as the first song started.   
  
"I don't mean to piss you off with things I might say, But when I try to shut my mouth they come out anyway, When I speak my mind, that's when we connect, But that's not politically correct,"   
  
"So far, so good, Maxwell," Wufei smirked.   
  
"Our heads are so filled with thought, we can't use our imagination, Like a sky so filled with stars, you can't find a constellation, And everyone's so sensitive to every bad vibration, We're so impressing while we're regressing"   
  
"I like it," Trowa nodded and smiled as Duo and Duet bobbed their heads to an exaggerated beat.   
  
"There's nothing I believe in more than my own insignificance, So why does everybody think that my words can make a difference,"   
  
"Wow, more Heero lyrics!" Duo grinned.   
  
"I just don't have time to think up every social consequence, I'll just keep on talking you keep applauding"   
  
"Byte me," Heero snarled.   
  
"I don't mean to piss you off with things I might say, But when I try to shut my mouth, they come out anyway, If you spoke your mind, you might feel more connected, Until you stand politically corrected"   
  
"Sssh! This is good!" Quatre called and waved for silence.   
  
"You lean a little to the left or the right but, You can only see who's on your side. Look a little like a deer in the headlights, A little blind and hypnotized. So you conform with the best of intention, Change comes from inside. After all that's what this country was founded on, Do nothing different just fall in line. What happened, to make us, so afraid, You couldn't, make a Mel Brooks movie today, I saw Blazing Saddles yesterday, I don't mean to piss you off with things I might say, But when I try to shut my mouth they come out anyway…"  
  
"That's perfect! But we'll have to change the last few lines. I have no idea who Mel Brooks is, and we didn't watch Blazing Saddles yesterday," Duet laughed.   
  
"She clings to me like cellophane, Fake plastic sub-" Six pilots simultaneously dove for the small walkman.  
  
"Well, now that we've got a song… Can anyone play an instrument? I can cover the keyboard, but we need a guitar and drums…" Quatre mused.   
  
"I know how to play the kazoo!" Duet grinned.   
  
"I'll play the guitar," Trowa volunteered.   
  
"I'll do drums…" Wufei mumbled and shoved his hands into his pajamas pockets.   
  
"You!?" the other five responded in concert.   
  
"There's a lot you don't know about me," Wufei countered.   
  
"That's great! Thanks, Wuffie!" Duet cried and hugged Wufei.   
  
"Unhand me, onna!" Wufei yelled and they toppled over into the pile of sleeping bags. The other boys laughed as Wufei sputtered and gasped for air.   
  
"You kids get to sleep, now. You don't want to be tired tomorrow," Avdol warned as he peered around the door way to check on them.   
  
"Yes, Avdol," Quatre replied and they all settled into their sleeping bags once again.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: Again, I changed the band names so they'd be more understandable to American readers! All those songs are copyright their respective bands. If I owned them, they wouldn't rhyme and they'd all be to the tune of "White Reflection." Fan service, no da! 


	15. Was happiness a fad? Or was it in the lo...

"Rise and shine, sleepy heads!" Quatre sang and put his hands on his hips.   
  
"...Omea O Korosu…" Heero mumbled and absent-mindedly felt for his gun. When he didn't find it, he lifted his head and looked up.   
  
"It's breakfast time," Quatre added. Duo actually made an attempt to move, but failed miserably and collapsed again. Duet was curled up in a small ball in the bottom of her sleeping bag, shaking. Quatre kneeled down and opened the zipper. "Are you alright?" he asked and peeled away the indigo blanket. The pilot was mumbling incoherently and shivering in terror. "Duet?" Quatre asked and hesitantly touched her shoulder. She flinched and her eyes shot open. She gasped for breath and Quatre wrapped his arms around her to try and stop the shaking. "It's okay. You were just having a nightmare. Everything's alright now…" he crooned and gently rocked her.   
  
"What happened?" Trowa asked and groggily swiped at his bangs so he could see.   
  
"Duet had a bad dream," Quatre replied and Trowa nodded. He dislodged himself from his sleeping bag and sat down next to the pair. Duet's eyes fluttered open again and she immediately latched on to the two.   
  
"Oh, I had a horrible dream," she pouted and curled up between them.   
  
"Can't be any worse than mine after my experience with the Zero System," Quatre replied and she relaxed against him.  
  
"Hmmm…" she mumbled.   
  
"Are you up yet?" Rasid boomed and everyone jumped again.   
  
"We need to practice and pull a wardrobe together before five o' clock," Quatre added and helped Duet to her feet. The others begrudgingly left their sleeping bags and stumbled into the kitchen.   
  
"Damnit, Heero. You had to drag us into this…" Duo grumbled and helped himself to a few waffles.   
  
"I seem to remember a certain braided baka begging for a banquet," Heero replied and pushed his eggs around his plate.   
  
"Too many B's," Wufei groaned and pulled his red blanket over his head.   
  
"Hmmm, I told you not to stay up late…" Avdol sighed and poured himself some orange juice.   
  
"You look like Hell, Duet. What happened?" Heero asked when Duet entered.   
  
"No, Hell looks better. You look like you fought a battle without your MS. C'mere, babe," Duo said and patted the chair next to him.   
  
"I had a bad dream," she mumbled and sat down hard.   
  
~~~  
  
"I don't wanna do this," Trowa complained.   
  
"Just get out here!" Duet yelled and banged on Trowa's door. Slowly he cracked it open. Duet stuck her foot in the space and pushed with all her might to open it further. He let the door go and she flew inside, landing unceremoniously in the pile of clothes Trowa had folded and placed carefully on the floor.   
  
"Well?" he asked and looked down at her. He was wearing a green shirt tucked into tight black pants.   
  
"What are you, nuts!?" she cried and jumped to her feet. "You need something to make the girls go wild!" she added and winked. Trowa took a step back when Duet advanced, her eyes gleaming.   
  
"What are you doing!?" he asked when she grabbed his shirt.   
  
"Un-tuck this! And unbutton it! And gimme that hairbrush!" she demanded and proceeded to adjust his costume. When the ordeal was over, Trowa stood frozen, not too sure about what had just happened.   
  
"Did it work? How come you're not going wild?" he asked.   
  
"Trust me, if I wasn't the one who did this to you, I would be," she smirked and left, satisfied with her work.   
  
~~~  
  
"Get away from me, onna!" Wufei cried and scrambled for the door.   
  
"Son of a- Wufei, you are such a wuss! Get over here!" Duet yelled and brandished a small comb.   
  
"Leave me alone!" he replied and ran, covering his head. Duet dove and tackled him to the floor.   
  
"Ha!" she cried triumphantly and pulled his ponytail out. "Now, before I let you up, you have to promise to let me fix you hair," she insisted.   
  
"...mmmph…" Wufei replied and went limp.   
  
"I can't he~ear yooou."  
  
"FINE!" he roared and rolled over. Duet fell off his back and he pinned her. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Wufei smiled. He pressed his lips against hers and Duet kissed back.  
  
"Duet, Quatre says… I'll leave," Trowa sighed and left as quickly as he'd come. Wufei rolled to the side and let Duet up. They looked at each other again and Duet shrugged.   
  
Wufei sat on the corner of his bed and Duet brushed his hair with the aforementioned comb. "It's not so bad, now is it?" she asked.   
  
Wufei shook his head and muttered, "Onna…"   
  
"You can call me that, but then I'm calling you Wuffie," she smiled and pulled his hair back into its regular style.   
  
"Wuffie?" Wufei asked and stood up. "If it makes you happy," he frowned in pretend exasperation and pulled off his shirt.   
  
"Wait! Hold that thought!" Duet cried and rushed to Wufei's dresser. She retrieved his wristbands and put them on for him. "There! That was easy!" she smirked and stepped back to take a better look.   
  
"You don't honestly expect me to go out in public like this, do you?"   
  
"Why not? You look fine!" she exclaimed and poked his bare chest.   
  
"If it makes you happy…" he sighed again and they exchanged another short kiss.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: Kiss between Waffle and Duet: really happened. Trowa walking in on Duet every time she's with someone, really happens. (on-going joke) Whole song thing… FAN SERVICE!!! Trowa Duo Heero and Duet were supposed to be on a mission to guard Relena at a speech in a building with a bomb threat. 


	16. Folks are on a sedative and time is runn...

Quatre watched silently as Duet inspected the clothes in his closet. "Viola!" she cried happily and held up a blue shirt and a dark pair of jeans.   
  
"I didn't even know that stuff was in there," he said and took the clothes from her.   
  
"Don't worry. I won't look," she smiled and turned around so Quatre could change.   
  
"I don't know about this…" he mumbled and looked down at his exposed chest.   
  
"Don't be shy. You look great! Very kawaii!" Duet exclaimed and looked him over. "One more thing!" she added and picked up a black choker. She clasped it around his neck and stepped back. "Perfect!" she grinned and Quatre smiled.   
  
"If you say so…" he laughed and shrugged.   
  
"Ya look good," Duet stated finally and flipped him a thumbs-up.   
  
~~~  
  
"Stop wiggling!" Duet giggled as Heero squirmed uncomfortably. She combed his hair until her hand hurt.   
  
"Are you done?" he asked for the eighth time.   
  
"Yeah," she replied and sat back on her knees. Heero stood up and ran his hand through his hair. Duet groaned and slapped her forehead as she saw all her hard work undone. "Did you use shampoo yesterday?" Duet huffed and collapsed back on his bed. "Shampoo?" he replied and looked back at her.   
  
"Argh! The amorphous liquid in the blue bottle!? I put it in the shower for you!" she cried and blew her bangs out of her eyes.   
  
"No," he replied simply and Duet turned her eyes heavenward, mumbling incoherently.  
  
"Put this on," Duet commanded and threw a pair of blue jeans and a leather vest at him. She covered her eyes when he started to change, but decided to risk just one peek…   
  
"You're looking," Heero stated and threw his shorts at her face.   
  
"And the lucky lady in the front row gets a souvenir!" she sighed and left them where they were.   
  
"You can look now," Heero smirked and Duet peeked from under the spandex.   
  
"Very nice. Did you know your shorts smell like motor oil?" she asked and sat up.   
  
"Do they really?" he frowned as he looked his outfit over.   
  
"Now put these on," Duet stated and threw him a pair of fingerless gloves. He obeyed and slipped them on.   
  
"Where'd you get these?" he asked and clenched his hands.   
  
"They're mine," Duet smiled and beckoned for him to come closer. "So are these," she whispered and clasped three different chains around his neck. "They suit you better," she added and let him go. "I'm sorry I was so cold before. You caught me off guard."   
  
"It's alright," Heero replied and shrugged.   
  
"No, it's not. I feel bad. You're entitled to your feelings," Duet insisted and left at that.  
  
~~~  
  
"You are a pain in the ass!" Duet laughed and poked Duo in the side.   
  
"Well, if you would pick an outfit already!" he cried in his defense.   
  
"Sor-ry! Just put these on!" she exclaimed at tossed him a pair of black pants. "I'll be right back," she called and left for Quatre's room.   
  
"Quatre, hon, do you mind if Duo wears one of your shirts? I mean, another of you shirts?" Duet asked and peeked around the door frame.   
  
"Of course not! Which one?" Quatre replied and walked to his closet.   
  
"Eh, just gimme a pink one," she shrugged and Quatre handed it to her. "Arigatou!" she chimed and disappeared again. Quatre sighed happily and returned to his desk.  
  
"Put this on!" Duet demanded and waved Quatre's shirt.   
  
"That's not what I think it is, is it?" Duo asked and gingerly took the top.   
  
"It is. Now put it on or face my wrath," she warned playfully.   
  
"Hmmm… And what might your wrath be? Maybe I'd enjoy it..." Duo teased and winked.   
  
"Oh, you'd enjoy having my foot shoved up your ass? Get a move on! You've got two hours to memorize the song!" she yelled and Duo obeyed. "I honestly don't know why that ditz didn't warn us earlier and- don't button it you fool!" Duet chirped angrily and whirled on him.   
  
"Now it's your turn," Duo smirked and pecked her on the lips.   
  
"N-n-nani…?" she stuttered and backed away.  
  
~~~  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Duo yelled and opened Duet's bedroom door to find her half-way out the window. He and Trowa dragged her back inside and dumped her on her bed. Heero bolted the window shut and turned around. Wufei crossed his arms and smirked.   
  
"Why in the name of all that is holy must I be in the show!?" she cried and curled up into a little ball.   
  
"Don't you want to have fun?" Heero asked sarcastically.   
  
"Perhaps we should-" Quatre began.   
  
"Uh-uh. She's not getting' out of this. All for one, and one for all," Duo rallied.   
  
"For once," Trowa sighed.   
  
"For the first time," Wufei added.   
  
"For God's sake, you're in the show!" Duo yelled when Duet fixed him with sad puppy eyes. He had to look away before he could succumb to the pathetic face.  
  
"Come on out," Heero sighed and knocked on her door.   
  
"Which one of you picked this out?" she asked. Heero opened the door a crack and the other four had to push as hard as they could to open it any further. "Someone better fess up!" Duet demanded and five fingers meekly pointed in five different directions. Duet stood with her arms crossed wearing a white tied-bandanna top and white short-shorts. Her cross still hung against her chest, but something else rested near the back of her neck.   
  
"What's this?" Duo asked an reached for it. She slapped his hand away, but the other one caught the necklace. "Military tags?" he asked and squinted to read them. "OZ military tags?" he corrected.   
  
"My parents were OZ soldiers. How did you think I became a war orphan?" she hissed and grabbed the tags back. The five boys turned their heads in shame for stirring up the past, something taboo among them. "Well, it feels better to have said something about it. Don't worry about it! Cheer up, guys!" Duet smiled and put her hands on her hips.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: You might have seen the picture that was drawn with the boys in these costumes. It was done as a sort of, "we're sorry we cut your chara" gift for Miss Hiyabasa. Duet was purposely left out so as not to cause any confusion, but she's there in the original. How do I know? It's hanging on Miss Hiyabasa's living room wall! Oh and Heero's shorts really do smell like motor oil! ^_^ 


	17. I wanna be the minority! I don't need yo...

"So I start the chorus, then Duet goes Our heads so filled with thought… Then Wufei goes Like a sky so filled with stars, you can't find a constellation?" Duo asked and scratched is head, looking at the music sheet.   
  
"Yeah. Then Quatre picks up with And everyone's so sensitive to every bad vibration. Trowa takes it from there, then Heero, then the chorus, and blah, blah, blah…" Duet explained.  
  
"Okay! I think I've got it!" Duo cried happily.   
  
"Our hats off to you, Maxwell," Wufei sighed and opened the door as Quatre limo pulled up to the banquet hall. He helped Duet out and left the others to fend for themselves.  
  
Duet had left her hair down as Quatre had suggested and everyone was wearing jackets over the outfits they were performing in. Duo even had a cute little blue bow at the end of his braid, courtesy of Duet. "Master Quatre, are you sure you don't want us to stay?" Avdol asked and stuck his head out the window.   
  
"HEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRROOOOOOOO!" Relena cried from the top of the steps.   
  
"Floor it!" Duo yelled.   
  
"Get away while you still can!" Heero whispered harshly and the limo made a speedy exit.  
  
"I'm so glad you could come! Even you, Duet!" Relena bubbled and proceeded to fawn over Heero. Duet mocked Relena behind her back and Duo and Quatre began to giggle. Trowa and Wufei snorted and Heero rolled his eyes. "What's so funny!?" Relena demanded and whirled on Duet who just whistled and rocked back and forth on her heels.   
  
"The God of Death heard rumors of a banquet?" Duo grinned hopefully and Heero sighed helplessly.   
  
"Oh, Miss Dorothy! How... are... you...?" Quatre smiled nervously and edged closer to the other pilots as the fork-browed girl approached.   
  
"The Gundam pilots? Six? Did one of you bring a date?" Dorothy asked, obviously trying to hide her disappointment at the notion the new girl could possibly belong to Quatre.   
  
"Oh, she's Duo's cousin or something," Relena replied and continued trying to carry on a conversation with Heero. Duo and Trowa held her back from strangling the pacifist.   
  
"Duet is a Gundam pilot," Quatre explained once Duet had calmed down.   
  
"Duet Maxine. Who are you?" she asked Dorothy and stuck out her hand.   
  
"Dorothy Catalonia. It's a pleasure to meet one of the soldiers playing such a big part in the war," Dorothy smiled and shook her hand.  
  
"I like you," Duet grinned and Quatre moaned audibly.   
  
"Weaklings… Everywhere…" Wufei muttered under his breath. "  
  
Have some punch!" Duet offered and shoved a cup into his hand.   
  
"This is a sad, sad excuse for a party…" Duo whispered and cringed at the groups of old people scattered around the huge ballroom.   
  
"Pacifists… Everywhere," Duet added, mimicking Wufei's disgusted tone.   
  
"Where'd your friend go?" Trowa asked and looked around for Dorothy.   
  
"Dunno. Where'd Quatre go?" Duet replied and sipped her own punch.   
  
"Man, it's gonna be fun to rock these guys…" Duo smirked.   
  
"I never thought politics were a good song topic until I heard that song…" Duet mused and sloshed the rest of her drink around.   
  
"Hello, everyone. As you know, I am Relena Peacecraft. I welcome you all to this Benefit Banquet for Peace. All proceeds will go to the War Orphan Fund. We have the five Gundam pilots here today to show their support-"   
  
"Actually, there are six, Miss Relena," Dorothy interrupted from somewhere across the room.   
  
"I'm sorry, the six Gundam pilots. They are performing a song of their choice for your entertainment. Please keep in mind that every dollar you donate will help the children whose parents have died in the war," Relena finished.   
  
"Well, that came about fifteen years too late," Duet remarked and the four headed towards the stage.  
  
"Where're Heero and Quatre?" Wufei asked and sat at the drum set. He spun both sticks simultaneously and looked at the others.   
  
"I'm right here, but I have no idea where Quatre is," Heero replied.  
  
Duo stuck his head around the curtain and looked over the crowd. Dorothy had cornered him near the other end of the stage. "We need him now, Dorothy. You can have him back when we're done," he called and Quatre rushed to escape.  
  
"Why are there two guitars?" Trowa asked and picked up one.   
  
"I thought Heero could play one too," Relena smiled sweetly.   
  
"Look, Heero. Just hold it and pretend you know what you're doing," Duet suggested as Heero poked at the instrument with his foot.   
  
"Heero can play!" Relena protested.   
  
"Cha, and you can pilot a Gundam!" Duet countered and Relena's features twisted in anger. "I *think* I know Heero a little better than you," she added and Relena was taken aback. Who did this girl think she was!? Relena stormed off stage and Duet laughed triumphantly.   
  
Everyone took their positions while the curtain was closed. Quatre at the keyboard, Wufei on the drums, and Trowa and Heero on guitar. There was a little confusion as to what Heero should do with the second instrument, but Duo promised that wouldn't be a problem. That just made everyone else worry more.   
  
"And now, here's the Gundam Wing Pilots performing "Politically Correct" by SR71…!" called someone on the other side of the curtain…  
  
"I don't wanna do this!" Duet whined and clutched her microphone tighter as the curtains cracked open. Trowa shot her a sympathetic smile and shrugged. The curtains opened all the way and everyone froze for a moment. "Trowa! Quatre! Wufei! Start!!!" she hissed under her breath. The trio exchanged glances and Trowa's finger twitched. Someone out in the crowd coughed.   
  
"C'mon, guys! I know you can do it!" Dorothy cheered. Relena shook her head hopelessly. Duo and Trowa began…  
  
Duo: I don't mean to piss you off with things I might say, but when I try to shut my mouth, they come out anyway. And when I speak my mind, that's when we connect…! But that's not politically correct!  
  
(Wufei and Quatre blasted their instruments and Trowa performed a little solo)  
  
Duet: Your head's so filled with thought, you can't use your imagination!  
  
(slows drumming)   
  
Wufei: Like a sky so filled with stars, you can't find a constellation!  
  
(Wufei does a solo, drumming resumes regular speed, and keyboard slows)  
  
Quatre: And everyone's so sensitive, to any bad vibration!  
  
(keyboard and guitar stop and Wufei plays louder)  
  
(Duo holds mic for Trowa)  
  
Trowa: We're so impressing while we're regressing…!  
  
(Trowa and Quatre resume even louder)  
  
Duo: I don't mean to piss you off with things I might say, but when I try to shut my mouth, they come out anyway!   
  
(Quatre stops playing and Wufei gets louder. Trowa strikes the strings in rhythm)  
  
Heero: (leans towards Duet's mic) There's nothing I believe in more than my own insignificance  
  
Duet: (throws arm around Heero so they could share mic) So why does everybody think that my words can make a difference?  
  
Wufei: (drum solo) I just don't have time to think up every social consequence…  
  
(keyboard stops and drums keep pace while guitar thrums)  
  
Quatre: I'll just keep on talking, and you keep applauding…  
  
(Wufei does another solo and everyone stops for a second. Then, they resume and Duet backs up towards Trowa)  
  
Duo: I don't mean to piss you off with things I might say, but when I try to shut my mouth, they come out anyway  
  
All but Duo: Ahhh!  
  
Duo: And if you spoke your mind you might feel more connected…  
  
(Wufei keeps the beat and Trowa and Quatre drag out the notes)  
  
Duo: Until… you… stand… po-li-tic-ally corrected!  
  
(The boys crash back into an instrumental solo while Duo drags out the last note)  
  
(Drums and guitar fall back into regular pace and Duo puts arm around Heero. They exchange looks when Heero begins)  
  
Heero: You lean a to the left or the right but you can only see who's on you side.  
  
All: Your side.  
  
Duet: You look a little like a deer in the headlights, a little blind and hyp-no-tized…!  
  
(Drum solo)  
  
Wufei: So you conform with the best of intention, change comes from inside.  
  
All: Inside.  
  
(Duet gestures towards Trowa, holding the mic for him)  
  
Trowa: And after all that's what this country was founded on, do nothing different just fall in line…  
  
Heero and Duet: Line…  
  
Quatre and Wufei: Li-ne!  
  
(All instruments pause for a moment, then strike when Duo begins)  
  
Duo: What happened-  
  
(Pause and resume again)  
  
Duet: To make us-  
  
(Trowa slides in early and instruments join in again)  
  
Trowa: So af-raid?  
  
(Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei stop again, the resume when Wufei begins)  
  
Wufei: You couldn't-  
  
(pause and resume)  
  
Quatre: Make a… decent MS today…  
  
(Quatre and the instruments hold notes)  
  
All: Nooo…!  
  
(Music stops)  
  
Heero: I destroyed an OZ base yesterday…  
  
(All instruments resume)  
  
All except Duo: I don't mean to piss you off…  
  
Duo: I don't mean to piss you off…  
  
All except Duo: With things I might say…  
  
Duo: I don't mean to piss you off..  
  
All except Duo: But when I try to shut my mouth…  
  
Duo: But when I try to shut my mouth…  
  
All except Duo: They come out anyway…  
  
Duo: But when I try to shut my mouth…  
  
All except Duo: And I don't mean to piss you o-o-off  
  
Duo: And I don't mean to piss you off…  
  
All except Duo: With things I might say  
  
Duo: I don't mean to piss you off…  
  
All except Duo: But when I try to shut my mo-o-outh…  
  
All: they come out anyway!  
  
Heero: Hey!  
  
(The three instruments repeat the chorus line a few more times and faded out)  
  
The six pilots stood on the stage for a few seconds and stared at the audience. The audience stared back. Finally, Dorothy stood up and began to clap. The entire room erupted with applause and whistles and every other manner of congratulatory response.   
  
"It's over…" Duet sighed happily and Duo and Duet collapsed back-to-back. They slid into sitting positions and sat there panting.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: I love my job… *joins in raucous applause and throws roses which hit the wall, cluing me back into realtiy. Turns out I was throwing pencils… Hmmm… *megasuperhugesweatdrop* 


	18. Reach down your hand in you pocket, pull...

"Encore! Encore!" they crowd began to chant.   
  
"No," the six replied at once and shot them death glares.   
  
"Do you know any more?" Dorothy asked hopefully and shot Quatre a pleading glance. Trowa caught his eye and smirked. They both exchanged glances with Wufei and he began to tap on the snare.   
  
Trowa resettled his guitar and blasted the famous solo from the next song on the CD. Wufei joined in and Quatre began to sing.   
  
"She clings to me like cellophane, fake plastic submarine! Slowly drivin' me insane, but now that's over!" Duo, now standing, exchanged a mischievous glance with Duet and they began.   
  
"So what if the sex was great!? Just a temporary escape! Another thing I grew to hate, but now that's o~ver!" they sang.   
  
"Why~y, why do you always kick me when I'm hi~igh!? Knock me down 'til we see eye to ey~ye! Figures are out and she may not be Miss Right, but she'll do right now!" the five finished together. Heero fixed them all with his famous Heero Yuy Death Glare.  
  
"That was a little crass," Relena scolded once the curtains were closed.   
  
"Hn?" Duet growled and looked up from Wufei's trap case. "Sheltered little…" she mumbled to herself as she worked with Wufei.   
  
"Onna?" he whispered when he bent down close to her ear.   
  
"I know," Duet replied and slowly reached for her gun only to find it wasn't there. "I got nothing," she hissed and slowly stood up, casually scanning the backstage as she stretched. The other pilots were working diligently to clean up the stage, and Dorothy and Relena were busy fawning over their favorites and lecturing and insulting the others. There was no one else backstage with them.   
  
"There," Heero whispered as he walked past. Duet and Wufei followed his eyes to the other side of the stage. The side curtains were bunched together on either end. "I'll go left, you go right. Duet, watch out for the others. We don't know who they're after," Heero instructed quietly and Duet nodded.   
  
Heero and Wufei slowly made their way towards the other end of the stage, appearing to be heading for one of Trowa's amps. Duet kept looking back and forth between the two bunches of curtain. A sudden glare caught her eye and she looked up. There, on the catwalk, was a figure dressed in black, holding a gun. Judging by the barrel's angle, it wasn't aimed at Heero or Wufei. Trowa was absent. Quatre and Duo were out of range. It was aiming at… Relena. Duet reacted on instinct as the figure went of the trigger. She dove on top of Relena and forced her to the ground.   
  
"What are you-" Relena's sentence was cut short as a gunshot echoed through the room. "Oh my God!" she gasped and looked at Duet's back. Blood was flowing freely from a hole in her side. "Are you alright!?" Relena cried. Duo dropped what he was carrying and rushed to her side. Heero fired a few rounds into the rafters, but the sharpshooter was gone. Quatre and Wufei followed Duo and rushed to their fallen comrade.  
  
"Is she okay?"   
  
"What happened?" Trowa asked and looked around the front curtain.   
  
"Call Rasid! He can find someone who can help us!" Quatre yelled and began tearing off strips of his shirt for bandages. Relena was trying to wake Duet up, and finally succeeded in getting her to open her eyes.   
  
"What were you thinking!?" Relena cried and Duet leaned on one elbow.   
  
"Why is it so hard to get a simple 'thank you'?" she grinned and coughed.   
  
"Well, smart-ass, I don't think you're gonna die, but don't exert yourself. Rasid's on his way here and he's bringing one of Quatre's sisters," Trowa frowned when he returned a few minutes later.   
  
Duo grabbed Duet's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Don't scare me like that!" he yelled and shook her a bit. Duet just grinned stupidly and wiped away the trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.   
  
"Be careful with her! She's injured!" cried a distinctly female voice.   
  
"Miss Duet!" Rasid boomed and followed the black-haired girl to Duet's side.   
  
"I was working on that soldier to pacifist ratio," Duet shrugged and smirked when Rasid fixed her a disapproving look.   
"Melody," Quatre whispered and hugged his sister.   
  
"Hello, dear brother. The pleasantries must wait though, I'm afraid. Help me with your friend," Melody replied and Quatre nodded. He scooped Duet up and the whole group headed outside, Duo holding Duet's hand the whole time.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: I added the second little song bit there just because I though it would be so cool if Trowa blasted that guitar solo! And the real show picks up from Duet protecting Relena... 


	19. She drags you down and she pulls you up!...

"Someone was trying to frame us for the murder of Relena Peacecraft," Trowa stated and leaned against the side of the armored ambulance.   
  
"I'm fine! I don't need no fancy medical treatment! Just gimme a stupid band-aid!" Duet cried as they loaded her on. Heero held Duet's arms so Rasid and Melody could strap her to the table.   
  
"Damnit! Why are you begin so stubborn!?" Heero yelled when she managed to wriggle her torso off the table.   
  
"Here. Give her this," Melody smiled and handed Quatre a syringe filled with a Phenobarbital sedative. When Quatre approached Duet, she began to wiggle even more.   
  
"Just lie still for a second…" Quatre crooned.   
  
"God… no!" she cried and tried to shield herself, but Heero wouldn't let her go. "Please!" she pleaded and Quatre brought the needle nearer. Duet went limp, blacked out before Quatre could even inject her with the sedative.   
  
"Doesn't like needles, ne?" Trowa smirked and peered into the ambulance. Quatre looked at Duet, then the syringe and shrugged.   
  
Duo paced nervously beside Trowa, kicked out of the truck for getting in the way.   
  
"Is she okay?" he asked hopefully and grasped Trowa's sleeve.   
  
"She'll be fine…" Melody replied as she wrapped Duet's waist with thick gauze bandages.  
  
"Do you have anything to say?" Wufei asked, shooting the silent Relena a glare. Relena was just staring blankly at her bloodied hands and dress.   
  
"Why did she do that? We always disagreed… And she just…" Relena mumbled.   
  
"Took a bullet for you? Hn. Our onna is strong. She probably knew she had a better chance of surviving than you," Wufei growled and turned his back on her again.   
  
"No, Duet's not that cocky. She's more like me than either of us care to admit. Duet's lost her sense of self-preservation," Heero explained without taking his eyes off the patient.  
  
"I think you're both wrong. Duet is a kind person. She did it out of love for a fellow human," Quatre retorted.  
  
"Can I come in now?" Duo begged and shot Rasid a pleading glance.  
  
"Duo! She was just shot! The last thing she needs is a cracked rib!" Wufei yelled as Duo practically squeezed the life out of the semi-conscious Duet.   
  
"I'm happy you're all right," he whispered and buried his face in her hair.  
  
~~~  
  
Heero peered over his laptop at Duet. She was lying on a bed covered only in a white sheet. She had passed out again when Melody announced that she might as well administer her shots that would normally have been given when she was a child. Not so tough now, are we? He thought and turned his gaze back to his computer.  
  
"Whatcha working on?" she asked softly and Heero's head snapped up.   
  
"You're awake," he said and shut the computer.   
  
"No, I'm having a very good dream," Duet grinned and rolled on her side to look at him. She flinched when the muscles in her side objected. "Okay, semi-good dream..." she mumbled and fell onto her back again.   
  
"Baka," Heero snorted and grinned slightly. For some reason, being around her cheered him up immensely.   
  
Heero watched Duet with concerned eyes as she pulled herself into a sitting position. "Is the pacifist alright?" she asked through clenched teeth. Heero flicked on the TV and turned it to channel 5.  
  
"-and her selfless act of heroism is proof the Gundams pilots truly are fighting for peace. Though-" he shut the television off, silencing Relena's speech.   
  
"I never did get that thank-you…" Duet grumbled jokingly and tried to stand, clutching the sheet against her chest. She and Heero locked eyes for an interminable moment. Heero blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck.   
  
"Your stuff's in the closet. I'll go," he murmured and slipped out the door.  
  
~~~  
  
"How's the patient?" Melody asked when Heero plopped down beside her on the couch.   
  
"Well enough to crack jokes."  
  
"All that tells us is that she's still breathing," Trowa yawned and left for Duet's room assuming it was his turn to take watch. He opened the door and was hit in the face by an unidentified flying shoe.   
  
"I'm not wearing pants!" Duet cried and Trowa quickly shut the door.   
  
"She's fine…" he muttered and rubbed his forehead.  
  
Duet hobbled out of her room a few minutes later looking like she'd been hit by a Good Will truck. Her shirt was rumpled and torn, aside from being on backwards with the tag sticking out in a mockery of Duo's collar. The jeans she had on were torn and spotted with faint blood stains, and her hair was a mess after being left down in the Europe's wet weather. Duo caught her halfway down the hall and turned her around. Gently, he led her to his room and sat her down on his bed.  
  
"Here. You can wear this until we buy you some new clothes," he grinned and tossed her a pair of kakies and a purple tee shirt. "When you're done, I'll braid you hair," he added and sealed the promise with a kiss. Duo shot her his trademark grin and shut the door behind him.   
  
"Arigatou!" Duet called.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: As Un-Gundam like as it sounds, she actually was supposed to yell, "I'm not wearing pants!" It was an inside joke among the script writers, Mr. Ikeda, and a few others… *grin* They're really immature for a bunch of working-class adults. Since Duet wans't used, they couldn't put the line in at a regular time, but in the Japanese episode where Treize gives his "One may think that OZ's military power rooted in its mobile suit forces may result in excess rule." speech, if you listen close enough, you can hear Ikeda's cameo yelling "I'm not wearing pants!" It's pretty funny, but you have to listen hard. 


	20. Okay... No more song lyrics...

"So, what's on to-do list?" Duet asked and leaned over the back of the couch until her head was right next to Quatre's.   
  
"Wah!" Quatre yelled and jumped at the sound of Duet's voice at so close a proximity. Wufei, who had come in right after Duet, grabbed her feet and flipped her onto the couch.   
  
"ITAI!" She crossed her arms and shot him a death glare.   
  
"Wufei!" Melody berated.  
  
Quatre simply blushed at the fact that Duet had fallen into his lap.   
  
"Um, Heero?' he whispered and motioned to the tissue box. Heero handed Quatre the whole thing and fixed him with a confused look as he tried to hide his bleeding nose.   
  
"I'm sorry! Did I hit you!?" Duet cried when she noticed the blood. She immediately gripped him in an apologetic bear hug, which only made his nose bleed more.   
  
"Um, Duet…? Maybe you should get off his lap," Duo suggested, trying to hide his amusement. Trowa held his forehead and shook his head.   
  
"Oh…" she grinned and stood up. "Ooow…" she moaned and collapsed onto the open spot next to Quatre, clutching her side. "That was a bitch of a bullet…  
"  
Everyone sat and stared for a few minutes before the next person spoke. "We have a mission," Heero stated bluntly and looked Duet in the face.   
  
"Great! Where?" she asked and attempted to sit up, but failed miserably and grimaced in pain.   
  
"You... won't be going," he continued and had to look away when the shock registered on Duet's face.   
  
"And why not? Because of this little scratch!?" she cried and jumped to her feet in outrage.   
  
Wufei stood in front of her and drew his katana. He tapped her in the side and she doubled over in pain. "You can't fight like that, onna," he hissed and sheathed the blade.   
  
"I can to! It's nothing!" she ranted and glared around the room.   
  
"You're a fool if you think you can fight in that condition!"  
  
"Melody and Rasid will take care of you while we're gone. It won't take long," Quatre explained and put an arm around her shoulders.   
  
"But I wanna go!" she cried and consoled herself against the Arabian, who automatically grasped for the tissue box.  
  
~~~  
  
Duo watched through his cockpit window as Duet leaned carefully against the catwalk rail in the hangar. "Duo," Heero warned over a private com link.   
  
"It's for her own good," he reasoned with himself and relaxed a little when Heero agreed with a grunt. Still, he wished that, if Duet couldn't come, at least he could stay with her.   
  
"You want to sit this one out?"  
  
"I don't know if I should," Duo drooped and listlessly thrust his harness into place.  
  
"As long as you don't make a habit out of it. Besides, you're no good on the battlefield like this. She needs you," he explained and Duo brightened.   
  
"Heero, I had my doubts about you, but it seems you're capable of human emotions after all!"  
  
"Omea o korosu…" Heero growled in reply.   
  
"Still gotta work on that!" he chimed as the cockpit opened.  
  
Duo jumped out and rode his zip line to the catwalk. "What are you doing?" Duet scolded as he pulled her into a massive bear hug.  
  
"Getting my priorities straight," he replied with a grin and waved to Wing Zero as it followed the other three suits out of the hangar.  
  
~~~  
  
"Sooo… We've got the day off... Whaddya wanna do?" Duo asked as he escorted Duet inside. They were ambushed by Quatre's sister on entering the kitchen.   
  
"She will be resting so she can heal, and Quatre tells me you had a broken leg I should look at," Melody stated, looking from Duo to Duet. She promptly steered the girl off to her room, leaving Duo alone in the kitchen.   
  
"It's all healed! I'm fine! I need to exercise is all!" Duet yelled and Melody held her arms back.   
  
"Your theory is to walk off a broken leg? Are you trying to kill yourself!? Duo! Get in here and help me!" Melody yelled back as Duet thrashed about. Duo hesitantly entered the room and stood next to the black-haired girl. "Hold her arms back. I need to check her bandages," she ordered and he obeyed.   
  
"Traitor," Duet mumbled and eased back against Duo.   
  
"It wouldn't have been that bad if the bullet hadn't grazed you hip. That's probably why it's so painful," Melody explained to Duet, who had passed out from sheer agony a while ago. Duo was doing the best he could to comfort her without looking down, seeing as it had been necessary to strip her down to her underwear so she could be re-bandaged.   
  
"-and lead me not in to temptation…" he murmured to himself when she began to stir.   
  
"All done!" Melody smirked and stood up. She had bound Duet's leg tightly with an ace bandage and patched up the wound in her side.   
  
"Is that what they taught you in med school?" Duo asked and made no attempt to get up.   
  
"I'm leaving some bandages and antiseptic here so she can help herself next time. I have to leave today and head back to the Colonies. She's lucky I was here on call!" she explained, completely ignoring Duo's comment. "Now get out so she can rest and get dressed."   
  
~~~  
  
Duo paced around outside Duet's door, occasionally knocking to see if she was awake. "I'm still in here," she called when he checked for the umpteenth time.   
  
"Are you wearing pants?" he asked, remembering Trowa's mistake. Duet swung open the door and leaned against the frame.   
  
"Is she gone…?" she whispered and looked up and down the hallway.   
  
"Yeah, she left a while ago," Duo replied and grinned.   
  
"Than what are we waiting for? Let's blow this joint!" she cheered and started out the door. Duo held her back and fixed her with a concerned look. "Not literally! And I'm just peachy, so stop with the concerned thing already!" she berated and he smiled and released her.  
  
"Let's go paint the town!" Duet rallied and threw a fist in the air. She redoubled in pain and Duo caught her.   
  
"I case you've forgotten, we're in the middle of the desert," he frowned and looked out the nearest window.   
  
"Then let me rephrase that… Let's sit around and play 'GO' until our fingers bleed," she frowned and crossed her arms.   
  
"No, more like: Let's go con the Magunacs into taking us somewhere!" the braided boy laughed and they bounded down the hall to find Avdol.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: True to its word… What would a Hiyabasa story be without ONE nosebleed? She's a biiig Rumiko Takahashi fan... 


	21. Oh, don't ask me to translate stuff! I w...

"Why'd you let Maxwell off so easy, Yuy?" Wu Fei asked over the com link as their Gundams approached the target base.   
  
"He's no good in his condition. He and Duet should be kept under quarantine," Heero shrugged, never taking his eyes off the target.   
  
"Was that a joke, Heero?" Quatre giggled. Heero remained stoic, as usual, except for the twitch at the corners of his mouth.   
  
~~~  
  
"Um, Avdol? Hi, um, we were just wondering if, maybe, we could, you know…" Duet babbled and the man turned around.   
  
"What can I do for you, kids?" he smiled and Duet eased.   
  
"Are there any, like, towns around here?" she asked.   
  
"The nearest one would probably be the actual Magunac base, but that's probably not what your looking for, is it?" Avdol replied, scratching his head. The pair exchanged glances and shook their heads meekly. "How about up by Qatar? No, that's to far… A little ways east along the coast, there's some tourist site at the capital. Will that do?" he smiled and they grinned childishly.   
  
"East along the coast," Duo said and hopped onto one of the four-wheelers in Quatre's garage. He helped Duet up behind him and they simultaneously snapped their goggles into place. "Here we go!" he cried and Duet hung on for dear life as the vehicle raced out onto the open sands. She buried her face in his back as the sand swirled around them. Duo smiled to himself as she clasped her hands together around his chest.  
  
They rode north for a while until the Persian Gulf came into sight. Duet sighed in relief when the stinging rain of sand ended, replaced by a irregular splashes of salty water as the quad sped through the surf. "You alright back there?" Duo asked and slowed down when they caught their first glimpse of the high, shining buildings near Abu Dhabi.   
  
"Guess camels are a little outdated," she grinned as other four-wheelers drove past them, heading in the opposite direction.   
"Camels are mean," Duo snorted and they both laughed. Duo made a mental note to thank Heero profusely when he saw him again as Duet settled into her familiar position.   
  
"Did you bring any money?" Duet asked and fished around in her pocket. She pulled out a wadded ball of tens, twenties, and singles.   
  
"Quatre gives me an allowance. Mainly because he knows if I can't pay for it, I steal it," Duo replied and opened his wallet as proof.   
  
"I just steal the money… You wouldn't believe the kind of cash OZ soldiers carry," she grinned and stuffed her money into her borrowed pants' pocket.   
  
"Munchies?" they offered simultaneously and giggled.  
  
After they stashed their ride in an alley to avoid the parking meters everywhere, they set out for the nearest food joint. The American pilots halted immediately and caught their breath when they spotted the sign that had made their country famous. The Golden Arches. They exchanged glances and happily made their way to the hideous red, yellow, and white building.   
  
"May I take your order?" the girl behind the counter asked, her fingers poised over the cash register.   
  
"Number one with cheese," Duo and Duet replied in concert and looked at each other. "No onion," they added.   
  
"And what would you like to drink?" she smiled, taking a moment to admire Duo's Heaven-sent physique.   
  
"Pepsi," Duet answered for the both of them and fixed the girl with an angry glare. Once she left to retrieve their order, Duet turned her stare on Duo.   
  
"What can I say? I'm-" he shrugged and grinned.   
  
"You're a babe magnet. I know…" she sighed and slipped her arm around his waist.   
  
"Your order?" the girl offered and slid the tray onto the counter. They split the bill and slid into a booth against the far wall.   
  
"Admirers, ten o'clock," Duo snickered and Duet slowly looked left. The four boys in the booth across from theirs were grinning and waving.   
  
"Not very discreet, are they?"  
  
"Do you think they know we're together, or do they just assume we're related?" Duo pondered and waved a French fry. She smiled, but instantly turned serious when the bell on the door rang. She rested her hand on the side of her face and motioned for Duo to do the same.  
  
"What is it?" he asked and pulled his tell-tale braid out of sight. He stole a glance at the person who had just entered and moaned. "We just can't catch a break," he sighed and reached for his gun.   
  
"You start shootin' that off in here and we'll be in even worse trouble!" Duet hissed and took a huge bite out of her hamburger. Duo and Duet peeked again, and their eyes met with the unwanted customer's.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: WHO IS THIS MYSTERIOUS CUSTOMER!?!? WHY ARE OUR HEROS SO TERRIFIED!?!? WILL THEY GET TO FINISH THEIR HAPPY MEALS!?!? FIND OUT! ON THE NEXT PAGE!  
They didn't exactly go to "McDonalds" per say… but something with the arches flipped upside-down. WcDonalds, I suppose… Keep in mind, this was written from PICTURES and WORD BUBBLES! It certainly LOOKED like the girl was checking Duo out! And the guys were grinning and elbowing each other when Duet bent down to pick up her napkin, but I didn't find that too "kid-friendly" to put in the story itself. 


	22. I have a basic fan vocabulary when it co...

"Hello!" the blondes chorused and ran over to their booth.  
  
"Hello, Relena, Dorothy," they sighed in defeat.   
  
"I've been looking for you all over! I never did get a chance to say thank-you," she smiled sweetly.   
  
"No problem. It was nothing. Look, shouldn't you two be, like, making royal decrees or something?" Duet sighed and took a sip from her soda cup.   
  
"But I came all the way here to apologize," she replied and gestured to include Dorothy, accidentally bumping Duet's hip.   
  
"ITAI!" she cried and clutched her side, grimacing in pain. Every head in the restaurant whipped around to see what had happened and the room went silent when they recognized Relena Peacecraft and Dorothy Catalonia.   
  
"You should go. You're drawing attention to yourselves and us," Duo explained under his breath. Relena nodded and stood up.   
  
"Please, come with us," she begged and offered Duet a hand. Duet slanted her a glance, and realized Relena wouldn't leave until she agreed.  
  
Duet stood, ignoring Relena's help, and snatched up her soda. Duo followed suit, grabbing his fries and still-wrapped burger. They left the rest on the table and followed the blondes outside to Relena's pink limo. "Pink," the pair gagged to themselves as Relena opened the door. The four climbed inside and Pagan nodded.   
  
"How did you know where we were?" Duo asked as he munched his fries, many of which Duet had stealthily stolen.   
  
"We found your dune buggy, and, well…" Relena explained, leaving off the rest of the sentence.   
  
"...McDonald's would be first place to look for American white-trash, right?" Duet snorted and swiped another fry.   
  
"I am trying to reconcile my previous actions! Why are you jumping at my throat!?" she cried and clenched her fists.   
  
"It took something like this for you to make a one-eighty and decide maybe I'm more than some Gundam Boy Toy! That's why I'm mad!" Duet yelled and gestured to her hip for emphasis.   
  
"Please don't be angry with Miss Relena! She doesn't understand war and those fighting it as well as we do!" Dorothy pleaded and clasped her hands together. Duo rolled his eyes and reached in his bag for another French Fry.  
  
"Alright! Where are my fries!?" he yelled and fixed Duet with an accusing glare. She smiled innocently, a French fry poking out from the corner of her mouth..  
  
"Fench fy? Wha fench fy?"   
  
"Nice try!" Duo laughed and tickled her ribs gently so as not to hurt her.  
  
"They're so cute together!" Dorothy giggled and turned to her frowning friend.  
  
"The fate of Earth and space rests in the hands of these…" Duo chose that moment to trap Duet in an unbreakable bear hug   
and nuzzled her ear. "Horny teenagers!" she cried angrily.   
  
The couple ignored her and continued with their affectionate antics until Pagan parked the limo outside Relena's finish school. They got out of the car and it drove off.  
  
"Avdol's gonna be pissed when he finds out we left for Abu Dhabi and wound up in the Sanc Kingdom…" Duet mused.  
  
"Avdol? Heero'll probably strap me down and torture me for dragging you out here." Duo frowned and Relena spun on her heel.   
  
"Where is Heero anyway?" she asked, trying to sound less curious than she really was.  
  
"Why do you want to know?" Duet smirked.  
  
"It's none of your business."  
  
"It's none of your business."  
  
"Than whose business is it?"  
  
"A Gundam pilot's," Duet said and looked up at Duo. He threw an arm around her shoulders and they both looked at Relena.  
  
"...you took us here why?" the braided boy frowned.  
  
"I couldn't think of any other way to thank Duet. In truth, we also wished to have a few Gundam pilots here for political reasons. Having you here in this pacifist country and seeing you living well, it is evidence that soldiers of war can exist in times of peace. Some people are afraid if they let the war end, they'll have no purpose, so they continue fighting," Relena replied.   
  
"So when can we leave?"  
  
Relena clenched her fists and looked as if she was trying with all her might to hold on to her pacifist teachings. "You will stay and you will enjoy yourselves," she frowned and stormed off. Dorothy was quick to follow.  
  
"Is that an order?" Duet called and Relena shuddered with anger before continuing on.  
  
"You just don't get along with other girls, do you?" Duo teased and wrapped an arm around her waist to lead her after them.  
~~~  
  
  
"Heero! Come in, Heero!" Duo yelled and adjusted the screen of his laptop. "Heero!"  
  
"What is it, Duo?" came a disinterested reply, followed by Heero's stony countenance.  
  
"We've been kidnapped! Duet and I are being held 52°N, 13°E in a large white building!"  
  
"...what are you doing in the Sanc Kingdom?"  
  
"We were abducted by your girlfriend," Duet frowned and crossed her arms.  
  
"What are you two doing in there?" Relena yelled and pounded on the door.  
  
She grabbed up the laptop and held it inches from her face. "Help! We don't have much time!"  
  
"Are you talking to Heero?" the pacifist demanded and swung the door open. Duet slammed to computer shut and kept her back turned to the other girl. "I have a right to know what goes on in this school. I do own it after all, and as students of my school, you are expected to answer me!"  
  
"But we're not students here," Duo countered  
  
"You are now. I signed you up! Don't worry about the tuition, it's been taken care of. Here's your chance to sit back, relax, and maybe learn a little about being civilized human beings," Relena snapped and spread out two piles of uniforms on their beds. "These should last you during your stay. I hope you find your rooms accomidating. Duet, you bunk is down the hall."  
  
"Hold it! One: There's no way in the great God's kingdom I'm putting up with this prep fest you call a school. Two: I stay HERE. And three: You give me one more order and I'll break your face," Duet retorted and frowned for all she was worth.  
  
"Have a good evening," Relena replied and curtseid, ignoring the pilot's outburst.  
  
"Is that an order?" Duo quipped and the pacifist made a hasty but dignified exit, not waiting for the Duet's decision.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: It's true! How different would the Gundam world be if these scenes had stayed??? Heero was not meant to be the sole main charater… Like regular anime, there were supposed to be complex love-[insert geometric shape] to spice things up… Sylvia should make a guest appearance soon… MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 


	23. Ohayo Gozaimasu... Konnichiwa... Konbanw...

Out of the corner of her eye, Relena saw two pairs of sparkling blue eyes peering throught the glass part of the door. She opened it, revealing two braided students in boys' uniforms standing on their tippy-toes. "Class, I'd like to introduce you to our two new students," she hissed through clenched teeth and quickly decide the shorter, chesty one was Duet.  
  
In the back of the room, Dorothy was giggling and whispering to the other girls as the pair entered the room. "Girls, these are your new classmates, Duo and Duet," she explained gesturing to them in turn.   
  
"Interesting ensemble," Dorothy remarked as Duet slid into a seat between her and Duo.  
  
"Yes, Duet. Would you care to explain why you felt the need to make a mockery of our unifroms?" Relena added.  
  
"Hn? You really expect me to put on that… thing you call a girls' uniform?" she snorted.  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"What are you going to do? Send me to the principal? Give me detention? Suspend me?"   
  
"No, that's what you want, isn't it?"  
  
Duet shrugged and nodded.  
  
"Come with me." Relena grabbed Duet by the wrist and dragged her from the classroom to where she and Duo were boarding. "Go in the bathroom and put this on," she demanded and handed her a crimson dress. Duet shrugged again and disappeared into the small white room. She emerged seconds later in what used to be the required unifrom.  
  
Duet had cut off the sleeves, undone the collar, and trimmed the skirt until it was almost useless, saved from being so by the bunched up slip underneath.   
  
Relena sighed and waved it off half-heartedly. "Just… stay in your room."  
  
"Oh no, Relena-sama! You asked me to put on my uniform and now I can go back to class!"  
  
Slowly, the blond counted backwards from ten, storming out of the room before she reached 'one'.Every head in Relena's classroom turned when the second braided pilot entered. Duo's evil smirked matched hers as she once again took her seat. "If Duet chooses to dress in such an inappropriate fashion, so be it, but let it be know that this school does not approve of such a lack of self-respect," Relena explained as she calmly opened her History book to begin the delayed lesson.  
  
~~~  
  
"Heero, did you just get a message from Duo and Duet?" Quatre asked as they exited their Gundams. The fight had been short, but brutal. They sorely missed Duo's skills, and Duet's wouldn't have hurt either, but they were safely back at Quatre's desert mansion.  
  
"Yes. Apparently, they're being held prisoner by Relena at the Sanc Kingdom."  
  
"I heard. How did they get there? And without their Gundams?" Quatre asked Heero as they joined the others on the catwalk. Deathscythe and the Washi Ookami loomed over them as they spoke.  
  
"According to Duo, they were abducted, but I don't see how it would be possible for a pacifist to accomplish such a feat," Trowa reasoned and joined the two.  
  
"Perhaps she offered them candy," Wu Fei quipped as he approached them from behind.  
  
"Don't be silly, Wu Fei!" Quatre laughed. "Duo knows better than to take candy from strangers." The four exchanged worried glance and quickly climbed back into their Gundams.  
  
~~~  
  
The Sanc Kindom school's foundation shook when the four Gundams descended in the middle of the campus.   
  
"What's going on here!?" Relena screeched and the entire room, probably the entire building, crowded around the south-facing windows to see what had caused the disturbance. "Heero!" she smiled when she spotted his MS. She dashed out of the classroom to meet him, and the two braided pilots followed.  
  
"Duet! Duo! You're alright!" Quatre exclaimed happily and held out his arms to the Washi Ookami's pilot. She clasped her arms around his neck, and they awkwardly made their way towards the others without separating.  
  
"It's good to see you again, Heero," Relena smiled and curtsied. Heero only replied with a grunt before moving towards Quatre and Duet.  
  
"You have to be more careful. You could have opened your wound. Let me see it," he said curtly, and Duet shook her head.  
  
"I'm a big girl."  
  
Wu Fei poked her in the side with his katana again, and she collapsed against the Arabian. "A big baby," he joked.  
  
"Stop poking me with that!"  
  
"Please! You're going to hurt her!" Quatre pleaded.  
  
"Would you Gundam pilots like to come in for awhile?" Relena smiled sweetly.  
  
"Yeah, Wu-man! She might just hafta whoop your ass like she did Heero's!" Duo laughed.  
  
"Gundam pilots…"  
  
"Can we please forget about that?" Heero sighed.  
  
"Gundam pilots."  
  
"...face it, Yuy… you're never going to hear the end of it until Maxwell is dead and gone…"  
  
"Gundam pilots!" Relena cried finally and they all turned to look at her. " Would you all like to come in and relax a bit?"  
  
"Yes m'am," the six replied, taking into accout her clenched fists and furrowed brow.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: No matter how many times I use the phrase "Fan service!" correctly, the image of two female cosplayers dressed as Tamahome and another boy from Fushigi Yuugi making out on stage will always pop into my twisted little mind… I was on the east coast of the states this summer to translate for guests at either Otakon or the Big Apple Anime Fest, (can't remember) and we saw this ad for Shoujocon near where we were staying, so of course we go… My God, what a great two days! Hello, everyone from Shoujocon 2001!!! Remember the adorabe girl who made a great Duo!? She got up on stage and yelled "HHHEEEEEEERRRRRRROOOOOOOO!!!" like Relena and the crowd went wild! That was the highlight of my visit!!! I'm definitely going again next year! 


End file.
